


Mission: Destroy Voldemort

by wicl2017 (wicl93), wicl93



Series: Mission Series [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Naruto
Genre: Crossover, Mpreg, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-07 13:27:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 140,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3174906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wicl93/pseuds/wicl2017, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wicl93/pseuds/wicl93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they all be able to handle everything?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Harry Returns

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they all be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

In a spacious room of a large manor, a young blond man was pacing back and forth, waiting for something. It was around 9.30 in the evening, and he was the only one in the house still awake, despite the fact that it was not actually that late. As the young man paused and sighed to himself, hoping that he wouldn't have to wait for much longer, he heard a 'whoosh' from somewhere behind him. He turned abruptly to see another young man, about the same age as him, but with much darker hair and tanned skin to his own pale complexion. He practically jumped at the dark-haired young man, his companion's arms wrapping tightly around him, before the other young man whispered in the blond's ear:

"Missed you, Draco."

"I missed you too, Harry", Draco replied, pulling back from a hug to press his lips against Harry's, pushing himself so hard against the other man that he half-expected Harry to fall over. Fortunately, Harry was more than capable of handling his boyfriend's strength, and easily held him close while Draco tried to push himself impossibly closer. They were interrupted by a short hoot from behind them, and broke apart to look down at where Hedwig sat in her cage, which had appeared on the floor beside Harry, along with his backpack.

"You didn't take much then", Draco commented.

"I was training for most of the summer, I didn't really have time to do much else", Harry replied. "And I knew I wouldn't, so I only took what I needed."

"What about clothes?"

"I got new ones while I was there, I only changed back into this to come back here", Harry replied. Draco looked at what Harry was wearing, the old t-shirt and jeans which he knew were hand-me-downs from Harry's (supposed) cousin.

"I guess you would have worn clothes like those shinobi", Draco joked.

"Shinobi tend to dress differently from each other, based on their own preferences and what suits their powers, as long as you wear your hitai-ate it doesn't really matter."

"Er – what?"

"This", Harry said, going to his backpack and pulling out a strip of fabric with a metal plate embedded in it. "The symbol represents the village."

"Yeah, most of those ones from before wore one on their heads, except those two who had theirs around their waist", Draco mused.

"I wear mine on my arm", Harry responded, putting it back into the backpack before slinging the bag onto his back.

"Fair enough. Are you hungry?" Draco asked.

"A bit, it was early morning when I left Konoha."

"So you're not tired then?"

"Actually I am, I figured travelling would tire me out so I made sure I would arrive in the evening here."

"How did you get back?"

"It's a spell, but as I'd never done it before...it's spoken in Japanese and fairly long, but within it you can choose where you go...although, it's only designed to transport you into or out of the shinobi continent, so I can't use it around Britain", Harry explained. Draco nodded, before calling for a house elf, having it take Hedwig and give her something to eat before putting her in the Malfoy's owlery.

"Come on, I'll show you to my room", Draco said, as the house elf popped away.

"I can't believe you have your own owlery", Harry shook his head. "And – wait, did you say your room?"

"Well where else did you expect to sleep?" Draco asked. "And I've wanted you in my bed ever since we made that bed in the Room of Requirement into 'our bed'."

"What about your mother?" Harry asked uncomfortably.

"She wants to meet you tomorrow morning", Draco replied. "And don't worry about what happened to  _him_ , don't apologise or anything, my mother wasn't exactly happy with him or anything."

"He was still your –"

"Don't", Draco interrupted. "Neither me or my mother want to think of him like that – he was a Death Eater and an enemy, you did what you had to do, okay?"

"Okay", Harry nodded. They reached Draco's room and went inside. Harry dropped his backpack into an armchair, as the room lit up. Harry looked around. To one side was a large window with a window seat; beside that was a bookcase of books, so Harry assumed Draco sat there to read. Next to that was a door, which was slightly ajar, and Harry could see clothes inside, so he assumed it to be a wardrobe. Draco's four-poster bed was set to one side of the room, with a bedside table on each side. The armchair Harry had put his bag in was one of three armchairs, which were just inside the door without being in the way of it opening. Between the chairs and the window was a desk piled with schoolbooks, with an open half-empty – or half-full – trunk in front of the desk. Harry crossed the room to sit on the bed, just as a house elf popped into the room with a tray of food. Draco took it and thanked the elf, who Apparated away.

"I figured you'd be hungry but not for too much, so I got the elves to make us something light to eat and bring it up here for us", Draco explained, sitting down on the bed. He pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged, setting the tray between himself and Harry, who also pulled his legs up onto the bed. On the tray, were various types of cheeses and crackers, as well as a few different cold cuts and a bowl of grapes. There were also a couple of envelopes.

"Are these the letters you told me about in the journal?" Harry asked. "I wonder why they were sent here."

"I guess someone at the Ministry knew where to send them – or the owl knew where to deliver them. They arrived with mine – the top one should be your results, and the second one is a form to fill out and send back to school for the NEWT subjects you want to take. The form has to be there by tomorrow morning, so I figured we could fill them out now and ask one of the elves to take them by Floo and hand deliver them. Then we should get our list of books sometime tomorrow or Friday."

"You never told me your results", Harry said jokingly.

"Figured I'd wait until you got yours", Draco replied, popping a grape into his mouth.

"Come on, tell me first?" Harry asked pleadingly, looking at Draco with puppy-dog eyes. Draco blinked for a moment.

"You're eyes are a different colour", he said.

"Oh, yeah, they're blue like my other father's", Harry said dismissively.

"The potion worked then?"

"Yeah – sorry, I didn't tell you, but it was a bit of a rush that night...my other parent was Naruto's father."

"Oh", Draco said.

"Yeah, so it was a bit awkward for a while, but I think it was okay..."

**_Harry was lying in the bath, soaking his sore body in the warm water. He had just finished his first day of training with Kakashi, having arrived in Konoha a few days ago, and it was a lot more difficult than training with Naruto and Sasuke. Although, when he thought about it, Harry realised how many times they let him off training because of Draco or exams, so he might have been more used to it if he had trained more._ ** **Still, _Harry said to himself,_ I couldn't have had a day of constant training while I was at school, or almost a day as Kakashi-sensei was late... _Harry stood from the bath, stretching his still sore muscles, and reached for a nearby towel._**

**_It was only a few minutes later when Harry entered the kitchen, where Karin was cooking while Suigetsu was sat at the table._ **

**_"How was training today?" Suigetsu asked Harry, as he sat down._ **

**_"Harder than what I did at school with Naruto and Sasuke, but then I never had more than a few hours at a time with them."_ **

**_"I'm just making some food, do you want some?" Karin asked._ **

**_"Yeah, sure, do you want some help?"_ **

**_"If you like, I just don't let Suigetsu help."_ **

**_"Er – okay", Harry said, unsure how to respond. "Where are the others?"_ **

**_"Juugo's outside talking to some of his animals", Suigetsu replied._ **

**_"And I think Sasuke is upstairs with Naruto", Karin added. Suddenly, all three of them reacted to a loud bang upstairs. Before they had time to even open the door, it slammed open and Naruto stormed through the kitchen and out of the house._ **

**_"What do you think that was about?" Suigetsu asked._ **

**_"Not sure, but we should probably leave it, after all, Sasuke won't tell us anyway", Karin responded. Harry looked between the two of them for a moment before leaving the house, following Naruto. He easily spotted the blond sitting at the end of the small pier which reached out onto the lake only a short walk from the house, where Harry had been practising his fireball jutsu earlier that morning. He walked down to the pier and sat down near Naruto, who was sitting with his legs dangling over the side, his feet almost touching the lake's surface._ **

**_"Are you okay?" Harry asked._ **

**_"None of your business", Naruto replied curtly. Harry looked taken aback, not used to Naruto being so closed off or rude – normally that was Sasuke – so it took a moment for him to continue:_ **

**_"I just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong –"_ **

**_"We may have the same father, but you aren't my brother, I don't know you that well, so you don't get to tell me what to do!"_ **

**_"I wasn't, I was just checking on you. And you kept trying to make Sasuke act like my brother, so why...?"_ **

**_"Because...I...urgh", Naruto groaned. He pulled his legs up onto the pier and wrapped his arms around them, burying his face against his knees. "Sorry", Naruto whispered, so quietly Harry almost didn't hear._ **

**_"It's okay, but do you want to tell me what's up? Did Sasuke do something to annoy you?"_ **

**_"I'm pregnant", Naruto said, still speaking quietly._ **

**_"Oh", was Harry's only response, the dark-haired young man at a loss for words._ **

**_"It's not that it's necessarily a bad thing", Naruto said, relaxing slightly and turning to face Harry. "It's just...Sasuke's 17, I'm 16...we're still young and we have no idea what we're doing...I have no idea what I'm doing."_ **

**_"You can get help, get advice, can't you?"_ **

**_"Yeah, I know...I don't really know why I was so annoyed, it's just that Sasuke was being so smug, like he'd accomplished something by getting me pregnant, and I just wanted to..."_ **

**_"Punch him?" Harry guessed. Naruto nodded in reply. "Well next time just do it", Harry continued. "Just punch him – if you do it right then he'll stop being so smug to avoid being hit."_ **

**_"I guess", Naruto agreed. "Sorry about what I said – you are my brother, I was just really annoyed at Sasuke, and I don't know why, but I couldn't really calm down."_ **

**_"Mood swings", Harry suggested._ **

**_"Probably", Naruto said, smiling slightly._ **

**_"If you want my help just ask", Harry offered. "Karin's just cooking dinner – you coming in?"_ **

**_"I just need to think a bit longer", Naruto replied._ **

**_"Okay, but don't stay out too long, it probably wouldn't be good for the baby if you got a cold."_ **

**_"I know, I'll be in soon, save me some food?"_ **

**_"Sure", Harry agreed, standing up and heading back up to the house, leaving Naruto staring across the water, the setting sun throwing long orange rays across the rippling lake._ **

"Harry?" Draco said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, but yeah, as I was saying, it was mostly okay, but Naruto is pregnant, and his mood swings are not fun."

"When did he find out he was...?"

"Right after we got back, he had a medical check-up. He told me a few days later, after my first day of training with Kakashi – I didn't tell you in the journal letter I wrote that night because I wasn't sure if I should tell anyone, but Naruto said it was fine to tell you before I left earlier today."

"That's okay", Draco replied. "Anyway...results?"

"Oh, right", Harry said, wiping his hands on a napkin on the tray before picking up the first envelope. He sighed as he pulled open the seal: "Please tell me what you got?" he asked again, sliding out the folded up piece of paper inside.

"Fine", Draco said, reaching over to one of the tables beside the bed and picking up a piece of paper. He read it out: "Defence – E; Charms – O; Transfiguration – E; Potions – O: Herbology – O; Divination – A; Astronomy – E; Care of Magical Creatures – E; History of Magic – E. Nine OWLs – 3 O's, 5 E's, 1 A."

"Wow", Harry said. "You passed all of them and you got good grades in the ones you need, right?"

"Yeah, now open yours", Draco encouraged. Harry unfolded the bit of paper and looked at it, his eyes widening slightly. "What is it?" Draco asked.

"Charms – O; Transfiguration – O; Herbology – E; Astronomy – E; Divination – E; History of Magic – E; Care of Magical Creatures – E; Potions – O and Defence – O+."

"What's an O+?" Draco asked.

"Apparently, I got everything correct and went higher than expected in my practical. They don't tell people it's possible to get the grade, they have to prove they deserve it without knowing about it, and it's worth two grades, so I have 10 OWLs – 1 O+, 3 O's and 5 E's."

"And you were worried because...?"

"Shut up."

"And you got the grades to do Potions, right?"

"Yeah, I have an O", Harry responded.

"Okay, now NEWT subjects... I was going to take Potions, Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."

"That sounds pretty good for me too", Harry replied.

"I was also considering doing an elective – they have lessons but they aren't NEWTs, or even OWLs, you just learn about something in a more fun way...there are still tests, but just in class, and they do them before Easter, so you have the holidays and after to focus on the NEWT exams."

"What were you going to do?"

"Ancient History", Draco responded. "It looks good, and it's not just taught by Binns, but by Snape as well."

"The problem is I'd fall asleep when it was Binns", Harry pointed out. "I was actually considering one of the other subjects – apparently, you can take Arithmancy or Muggle Studies without having done an OWL, it's just a little more work."

"I'm guessing you were thinking of Arithmancy then", Draco commented. "You grew up in the Muggle world, so there wouldn't be any point giving yourself extra work by studying it."

"Yeah, what do you think?"

"Seven subjects is quite a bit, especially with everything else..."

"I'm not doing Quidditch this year, and if anyone even suggests the DA I'll refuse. I've gotten used to getting up early, so I thought I'd do a bit of training before breakfast, then go to class, do homework between classes and dinner, and train in the Room of Requirement after dinner on a few days – the other days I can do homework or meet you, and I can train whichever days I choose because I'll be doing it on my own."

"We can always meet on the homework nights and help each other", Draco suggested, leaning over the tray to place a chaste kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

"So, should we do these forms then?" Harry asked. Draco picked up his and a quill and passed Harry a second quill, setting a pot of ink on the tray between them, as they had both finished eating.

It didn't take long for the two wizards to fill out the simple forms, which merely required their names and choices for the following year, along with the grades from their OWLs, and soon Draco was calling a house elf to remove the tray from their dinner and to take the letters immediately to the school. As the elf popped out of the room, Harry had to cover his mouth as he yawned widely.

"Tired?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, sorry", Harry replied.

"Don't worry, I figured you would be. Bed?"

"Like I'd ever refuse sleeping in the same bed as you", Harry commented, standing up from the bed and stretching. He wiped off a few crumbs from the bed before getting undressed, stripping down to his underwear. Draco did the same, then both young men crawled under the covers, falling asleep in each other's arms for the first time in several weeks.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Harry and Draco go to Diagon Alley and Privet Drive, getting ready to return to Hogwarts!**


	2. Diagon Alley

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they all be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

The following morning, Harry woke up early. He shifted slightly, feeling the familiar comfortable weight of his boyfriend curled up against his back. He rolled over slowly, pulling Draco against him and cuddling him, burying his nose in the blond locks and inhaling the scent which he had missed over the past several weeks.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, the smile gracing his lips audible in his voice.

"Just getting comfortable", Harry replied, snuggling down into the bed with Draco still curled against him.

"Why does getting comfortable involve smelling me?"

"Because I missed your scent."

"Okay", Draco said slowly, pulling away from Harry and getting out of bed.

"Coming back?" Harry asked.

"No, getting up."

"But I want more Draco snuggle time", Harry whined. Draco sighed.

"Never say those words again and you can join me in the shower."

It was around an hour later when the two of them finally entered the dining hall for breakfast, where Narcissa was already sitting, eating some toast while reading the paper.

"Good morning boys, you took your time this morning", she greeted them, as they sat down opposite each other, with Narcissa between them at the head of the table.

"Sorry, I was being slow this morning", Harry apologised. "Britain's on a different time zone", he added in explanation.

"Of course", Narcissa replied with a knowing smile, as Harry and Draco filled their plates from the food that was laid out between them.

"Has the post arrived yet, mother?" Draco asked.

"Not yet, are you expecting anything?"

"Hopefully we'll get our letters for Hogwarts today", Draco responded.

"Isn't that a little quick?" Harry asked.

"No, the house elf hand-delivered them, so the replies would have been sent out first thing this morning."

"It is first thing this morning", Harry reminded him.

"Actually," Narcissa cut in, "it's 10am. The letters would have been sent around 6 to 6.30 this morning, so that they would arrive today, giving you today and tomorrow to get everything before the train on Saturday."

"Sorry, I guess I should have come back a day earlier", Harry apologised.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it will be fine", Narcissa said. "The post should arrive soon, if your letters are there then you can go today, If they aren't, then they will arrive later today in the evening post, and you can go to Diagon Alley tomorrow." There was suddenly a hoot from above them, as two owls entered through a high window, dropping down to sit in front of Harry and Draco. Draco took both letters while Harry fed the owls a few small bits of bacon from his plate, before they hooted again and flew off, back out of the window.

"Should we go today then?" Harry asked.

"Mother?" Draco asked, looking at Narcissa.

"I will go and dress properly while the two of you sort out what you need to buy and finish eating", she replied, standing and leaving the room. Draco handed Harry's letter to him and they both opened their letters.

After skimming over the letters for a few moments, Draco looked up at Harry.

"I guess you have pretty much the same list as I do, right?" he asked.

"Expect so, standard books for Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology", Harry began. "Then all the previous years books for Potions as well as another couple, and the same for Care of Magical Creatures."

"Defence has a new list and says to disregard most of the older ones", Draco said. "Think they have a better teacher now that the war's 'over'?" he asked, his tone of voice indicating that the final word was in inverted commas.

"Hopefully, the position was supposedly cursed by Voldemort after all...I wonder who it is?"

"We'll find out in a couple of days. Anything else on your list?"

"Because I'm just picking up Arithmancy, I need to get several books, to cover the last few years as well as this one. What about your Ancient History?"

"No book list for now, it says that we'll be looking at other things until Christmas but we may then have to purchase a book or two ready for January, which we can get by mail order to the school if we don't leave for the holidays."

"Do you need anything other than books?" Harry asked.

"New robes, how about you?"

"Same, the last ones got a little torn up when...well, you know...", Harry trailed off, recalling the events in the Ministry a couple of months previously.

"Do you want to change before we go?" Draco asked.

"No, I don't really have anything else", Harry shrugged. Draco looked Harry's outfit, the oversized shirt and trousers clearly too big for Harry's small frame – even though Harry had more defined muscles from his summer training, he would never fit into the clothes he got from his cousin, who could hardly be considered in shape.

"Okay, I'll just go and put on a different shirt", Draco said, standing up. "We may as well just take your book list, as its the same as mine just without the Arithmancy books."

"Sure", Harry agreed, standing up. "I'll come with you and grab my bag."

Ten minutes later, Harry and Draco came back downstairs, meeting Narcissa in the living room. Harry felt a little out of place in his hand-me-down clothing, especially beside two purebloods, but he shrugged it off as he followed Draco over to the fireplace. The three of them used the Floo to go to Diagon Alley, and soon found themselves standing at the entryway of the street, many wizards and witches bustling around with their shopping.

"It will probably be quite busy in the shops we need, I expect a lot of people will be shopping ready to go back to school", Narcissa pointed out.

"That's fine", Harry said. "Gringotts first?" Draco nodded his agreement, and the three of them made their way through the packed streets and into the wizarding bank, which was thankfully not as busy as it could have been, given the amount of people out shopping that day. They only had to wait a few minutes before a goblin was free, and they approached him.

"Good morning, we need to make withdrawals from the Malfoy and Potter vaults please", Narcissa asked.

"Mr Harry Potter?" the goblin asked, looking at Harry.

"Yes, is there a problem?" Harry replied.

"Would you please proceed through that door and up the stairs to the third floor, then along to the office of Griphook? There is something which he needs to speak to you about concerning your vaults."

"Vaults?" Harry repeated. The goblin merely looked at him. "Er – right, thanks..."

"We'll meet you in Madame Malkin's", Draco said. Harry nodded and walked to where the goblin had indicated, a little unsure about what was going on. He went up the stairs and along the corridor, finding a door with the name 'Griphook' on it at the end of the corridor. He knocked and entered.

"Er – hello?" Harry called into the apparently empty room.

"Ah, Mr Potter, come in", a goblin replied, walking across the room. Harry entered and closed the door behind himself, realising that the goblin had been at the filing cabinets behind the door, so Harry hadn't noticed him.

"I was told to come up here, but not told why", Harry said, as he sat down in the offered seat at the desk, opposite Griphook.

"Yes, I'm afraid that what we have to discuss is private – if you choose to share it with your companions then that is your choice, but we would not have said anything in front of them."

"I see."

"Now then...you have been absent for the duration of the summer, is that correct?"

"Yes, I was..."

"No disrespect intended, but we are aware that you were out of the country, and that you were on the shinobi continent."

"Who else knows this?" Harry asked.

"Only me and a few other goblins who are employees at this bank, which we determined when we attempted to write to you."

"Okay, I just needed to be sure."

"Of course", Griphook nodded. "Now then, you are the primary benefactor of the estate of Lord Sirius Black."

"Really?"

"Yes. There were other benefactors, all of whom recieved some small amount of money, but you are the primary benefactor, and his adopted heir, so you have inherited the Black lordship, as well as the Potter one."

"Er – about that... I was in the shinobi world because I found out that I am a shinobi...James and Lily Potter weren't actually my parents."

"One moment please", Griphook said, hopping down from his chair and crossing the room to the filing cabinets. He retrieved a file then returned, retaking his seat at the desk. Griphook opened the file and moved around several papers, finding one particular piece and reading it, while Harry sat patiently opposite him.

After a few minutes, Griphook set the paper down and looked at Harry:

"The wording in James Potter's will ensures that you are the benefactor, even though you are not his son", he announced.

"Okay", Harry nodded.

"Is your birthday different?" Griphook asked.

"Yes, it's October 5th", Harry replied.

"Inheritors of pureblood estates can hold them in their own right once they are 16 years of age. Until now, the Black vaults were mostly untouched, as their owner was incarcerated and then in hiding, although he was cleared off all charges against him earlier this summer. The Potter vaults were under the care of your named magical guardian, Albus Dumbledore."

"What?" Harry asked, trying to hide the anger in his voice.

"This meeting is confidential," the goblin reminded Harry, before continuing: "and as you are already sixteen, Dumbledore has no right to order you to do anything...and I will understand if you aren't his loyal follower." Harry smiled slightly.

"Sorry, I'm not Dark, it's just that he's not exactly that Light himself, and..."

"You do not need to explain, I have met the man. I'm afraid that the money which he took from your account before your sixteenth birthday last October can not legally be recovered –"

"How much did he take and where did it go?" Harry interrupted.

"I'm not sure of the total amount, but it went to pay members of the secret organisation known as the Order of the Phoenix."

"Can you get back anything given to them since I turned sixteen?"

"Indeed, I can sort out the paperwork for that now. Is there anything else I can do while you are here?"

"Stop him from touching my accounts again?" Harry asked sarcastically. "Sorry, I know he was legally allowed to, but still..."

"Accounts with large sums and many properties, such as the Black estate, have a specific goblin who ensures their safety. I am solely in charge of the Black estate, which will now become the Potter-Black estate, as the two will be combined. I assure you that only your own transactions will occur."

"Do the Order members know where the money was coming from?" Harry asked.

"It was not included on any paperwork that they would have received, so they would only know if Dumbledore informed them."

"Okay, thanks." The goblin nodded and stood up.

"I will sort the paperwork to combine your estates into one and to retrieve the money taken from you since October 5th last year. Is there anything else you need at Gringotts today?"

"I came in to make a withdrawal", Harry replied. "Can I do that if you're combining the accounts, or...?"

"Yes, it's actually a better idea – when the accounts are combined, the contents of the various vaults will be moved around so that everything is in as few vaults as possible. You will be sent new keys through the post, secured by a spell that only allows the recipient to open the package. While the accounts are being combined, which will take a few hours, you can't charge anything to your vaults, as you may have new vault numbers afterwards."

"Okay then", Harry said. "I'll be at Malfoy Manor today and tomorrow, but then I'll be going back to school on Saturday..."

"I will send you a full breakdown of your estate, with all monies and properties, along with your new vault keys", the goblin said, handing Harry a withdrawal slip and indicating the quill and ink on the desk. "I'll take your current key now, if you don't mind, and sort out your withdrawal and get the combination of your accounts started as soon as possible." Harry nodded, thinking for a moment and doing some adding up in his head. He filled out the withdrawal slip, taking out a large enough amount of money to easily cover everything he would be buying that day.

"Is this just for school supplies?" Griphook asked, as Harry handed him the slip.

"No, it's for other things as well", Harry replied.

"Very well. I apologise if that seemed rude but I was just checking, in case you weren't aware of the cost of the things you would need for school", Griphook explained. "I will just be a moment", he said, as Harry handed him the key for vault number 687. Harry nodded and the goblin left the room. Harry let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.  _Okay,_ he said to himself,  _I have two lordships, more money than I need – if I had more than I needed before, I definitely do now I have the Black estate as well – I probably have a bunch of properties as well... I own Grimmauld Place._  Harry smiled to himself as he made the sudden realisation that he owned the house used as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.  _Dumbledore won't disband the Order while there are still Horcruxes...I could refuse to let him use the house, or see if Kreacher will be obedient enough to me to tell me what they discussed..._  Harry turned slightly as Griphook re-entered the room.

"Now then, here is the paperwork you need to read through and sign", Griphook said, handing several papers to Harry. Harry looked up at him:

"Everything said or done in here is confidential, right?" Harry asked.

"Yes, why?" Harry merely grinned in response, activating his Sharingan and scanning the pages, reading the long pieces of paperwork in only a few seconds. He deactivated his Sharingan and picked up the quill on the desk, signing the forms and handing them back to the goblin.

"A shinobi power?" the goblin guessed. "It will remain between us", he added with a small smile. Harry stood up and Griphook handed him a pouch of money, which Harry slid into his backpack before closing the bag and slinging it over one shoulder.

"Thanks", Harry said.

"Of course, Lord Potter-Black", the goblin replied, bowing deeply. Harry bowed in response before leaving the room and Gringotts.

He walked to Madame Malkin's fairly quickly, knowing that he'd been some time in Gringotts, and hoping that he wasn't making Draco and his mother wait for him. He got through the crowds without too much trouble, possibly as it was around 11.30, so people would be starting to head off for lunch, and entered the shop he was heading for. He easily spotted Narcissa and went over to join her.

"Did you sort out everything you needed?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you. Is Draco still being measured? I thought I'd have been longer than that."

"No, his measurements are done, he's just choosing some fabric for new formal robes", she replied. "Unfortunately, that takes him a while", she added with a small sigh, sitting down on a chair. Harry smiled in response, sitting down beside her.

A few minutes later, Draco finally emerged, wearing long green robes with silver stitching.

"That long and you go with Slytherin colours?" Harry commented.

"Yes", Draco replied, fighting the childish urge to stick his tongue out at Harry. "What do you think?" he asked, turning around.

"They look fine, dear", Narcissa said.

"I prefer you in trousers", Harry said. "Easier to see your tight –"

"Yes, I get it, thank you", Draco interrupted him, blushing slightly. Madame Malkin smiled slightly beside him.

"Is the fit good?" she asked Draco, who was fighting off his blush.

"Yes, thank you", he replied, returning to the dressing room to change back into his normal clothes. Madame Malkin smiled as she turned to Harry.

"Will you be needing a new Uniform Pack as well, Mr Potter?" she asked.

"Yes please", Harry replied, still smiling as Draco emerged from the changing room. He stood up, handing Draco his backpack and walking into the dressing room to be measured.

It only took a short while for Harry to sort out his measurements and what he needed. His training over the summer, as well as a growth spurt – which Draco had muttered was due to Harry being fed proper food over the summer – had led to him needed new sizes of everything. He also got new formal robes, deciding that if he was going to hold two lordships then he would probably need formal wear. He got two sets, quickly vetoing the idea of Gryffindor colours, instead having one set in blue and another in green. Before long, the three of them were leaving the robe shop, Harry and Draco carrying bags with their clothing inside.

"Why those colours for your formal clothes?" Draco asked Harry.

"Well, my eyes are blue, so I figured I'd have ones to match. I just liked the look of the green ones, why?"

"Green and silver", Draco corrected.

"Really?" Harry asked in mock confusion. "Oh...well that's bad isn't it, I mean, can you imagine the look on the faces of people like Dumbledore if I were to be seen wearing formal robes in Slytherin colours?" he continued. Draco smiled in response, and even Narcissa hid a small smirk as they went into Flourish and Blotts.

Narcissa browsed the store while Harry and Draco found their school books and browsed for themselves. It was around 1pm by the time they had finished, as the two young men needed so many books for school, as well as the ones they'd bought for themselves.

"We can probably get books from the Room of Requirement", Draco had reminded Harry.

"I know, but the same could be said for our school books – and it's interesting to know what sort of things are in books which we can legally buy but Dumbledore still thinks should be in the Restricted Section", Harry added under his breath.

As the three of them were leaving the store, Harry noticed the wave of red first, as the Weasleys were entering the store.

"Harry!" came a shout, before Hermione attempted to jump into a hug. Harry side-stepped however, and Hermione instead ended up on the floor.

"Sorry, instinct", Harry said truthfully.  _It really is after all that training this summer,_ he added to himself.

"Hmph", Hermione grunted in annoyance, standing up and dusting herself off.

""How has your summer been Harry?" Molly asked.

"Fine, thank you Mrs Weasley", Harry replied politely.

"What are you doing here with him?" Ron asked, indicating Draco.

"We're shopping for school things, the same as you I expect", Harry responded, still speaking politely even though part of him just wanted to ignore Ron and walk away, or even hit the redhead who was still glaring at Draco.

"Well, why don't you come with us?" Molly asked. "We're just getting books, then we're going to Madame Malkin's."

"Sorry Mrs Weasley, but we've already been to Madame Malkin's and gotten all of our books already", Harry replied. "We were actually just leaving, if you'll excuse us?" Harry didn't wait for an answer as he slid past Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Molly and Arthur, leading Draco and Narcissa out of the shop.

"You okay?" Draco asked, as Harry let out a sigh once they were back outside and some distance away from the Weasleys and Hermione.

"Yeah, I'm fine, you?" Harry replied.

"It's not like I expected them to accept us, and they need to get school stuff too", Draco shrugged.

"It got quieter earlier, I figured as everyone was starting to finish or get lunch – perhaps we should do the same?" Harry suggested. "I still need to tell you about what happened in Gringotts after all."

"Lunch is a good idea, but you don't need to tell us if it was private", Narcissa pointed out. "Or you can just tell Draco later."

"I don't mind you knowing", Harry said sincerely, looking at the older woman. "I love Draco, and you're his mother, so..." he trailed off. She nodded her understanding, smiling at him.

"Where would you like to eat then?" she asked.

"Well, I don't really know", Harry responded. "Whenever I came with the Weasleys we either ate first or in the Hog's Head...is there somewhere a bit...well..."

"Higher class?" Draco supplied.

"Don't say it like that", Harry said. "But yeah, I guess that's what I meant," he relented.

"This way then", Narcissa said, leading the two young men further back Diagon Alley. As they passed various shops, Harry realised he'd never actually been this far back before. They soon reached a small café and went in. It was fairly quiet, and as Harry picked up a menu, he figured out why he had never been gone so far through Diagon Alley with the Weasleys – the answer evident when he looked at the prices.

"This far back is the higher class section of Diagon Alley, where you can get the more expensive things", Draco whispered to Harry.

"I figured", Harry replied. A waitress arrived to take their orders, and they all ordered.

After their food had arrived and they started eating, Draco turned to Harry:

"So, Gringotts?" he asked.

"Yeah...Sirius made me his heir", Harry revealed. "Also, James' will was worded so it doesn't matter that I'm not his son...so I'm Lord Potter-Black."

"Not bad", Draco said.

"You say that now, but it's not like I know anything about how I should act, or even that much about what it means to be a Lord in the magical world."

"You must have had a legal magical guardian in charge of the Potter estate, did that person not tell you anything?" Narcissa asked.

"It was Dumbledore", Harry said. "And I didn't even know I had properties or estates, I just knew I had a vault – I didn't know Dumbledore was in charge...or that he was using my money to pay the Order members", he added quietly.

"Can you get the money back?" Draco asked.

"My real birthday is October 5th", Harry began. "Anything since Ocotber 5th last year happened when I was legally in charge of the vaults. As I didn't authorise any of it, I can get it all back – Griphook is already working on that – but anything else is gone."

"That's true in monetary terms, but any objects owned by the Potter family and stored in the vaults may be retrievable", Narcissa cut in.

"I don't think Dumbledore touched anything but the money – but then, I never noticed any objects in there", Harry mused. "The Potter and Black vaults are being combined, so I only have the money I withdrew earlier for now, but I'll get my new vault keys in tomorrow's post – along with a full breakdown of my assets and properties."

"I can help you go through it", Draco offered. "I can also teach you about being a Lord, if you like?"

"That would be helpful", Harry said. "We can do it at school as well, if you don't mind?"

"Around classes I assume?" Narcissa asked.

"I'm not doing Quidditch, or anything extracurricular except the training I do on my own – I have to do that three or four evenings a week, but I can do any evenings I want, so I can train while you have Quidditch practice then we can meet on the other nights? That way we can revise together for class as well."

"That sounds like a good idea – our usual room?" Draco asked.

"No", Harry replied. "We can go there sometimes, but...I want you to revise with you and learn this stuff in the library, where everyone can see that we're together – is that okay?"

"Everyone at school already knows we're together", Draco pointed out.

"And it won't take long for the papers to find out that you are Lord Potter-Black", Narcissa added.

"So that's all okay then?" Harry asked, as he finished his meal. Draco nodded in response.

As the waitress cleared the table and left to get their bill, Narcissa looked at the two young men:

"Is there anywhere else you need to go?" she asked.

"Just a few small things like owl treats and broom polish", Draco said. "If you're getting tired we can finish on our own?" he offered.

"If you're sure", Narcissa said. "Harry?"

"Everything else I need I can do with just Draco, and we probably won't run into the Weasleys again if we stay this far back in Diagon Alley", he said. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine dear, I just don't really sleep that well in general, I never have, so I tend to nap in the afternoon."

"We'll be fine", Draco said. She smiled at him as the waitress left their bill.

"Well, I'll at least pay for dinner before I go – no arguments", Narcissa said, cutting Harry off before he could say anything.

"Okay, thank you Mrs Malfoy", Harry said.

"No problem dear, and please call me Narcissa." Harry nodded and the three of them left the café. Narcissa offered to take their bags back for them, and they relented, allowing her to shrink them and carry them with her. Narcissa waved to them before she Apparated away.

"So, where first?" Draco asked.

"Well, we need to get all those little things you mentioned, but I also need new clothes", Harry said. "Proper clothes that fit me, not Dudley's old hand-me-downs, and I'd rather look like my titles suggest."

"If you walk around Hogwarts dressed like a pureblood –"

"It's my business?" Harry finished for him. Draco smiled at him before his expression changed, and Harry wondered if he shouldn't have asked for Draco's help when it came to clothes shopping.

It was dinnertime before they returned to Malfoy Manor, Draco having dragged Harry around many clothes shops, more than Harry had thought was possible. All Harry had wanted was comfortable clothes, which fit him and displayed his status – partly to annoy Gryffindors like Ron and Hermione, not to mention Dumbledore, and partly due to Harry's own reasons – but Draco had decided to get Harry only the best.  _Although it would have been better if the best hadn't taken so many hours,_ Harry said to himself, as he slumped down in a chair in the living room of Malfoy Manor, waiting for his boyfriend to follow him through the Floo. Draco emerged seconds later, setting down his bags gently while Harry had just let his fall to the floor as he slumped into the chair. Narcissa entered the room, having noticed their arrival.

"You two were a while, weren't you?" she asked.

"Harry wanted a new wardrobe", Draco said in explanation.

"And Draco was trying to kill me with shopping", Harry groaned, leading said blond to glare at him.

"Would you like dinner soon?" Narcissa asked.

"Sure, I can get started on teaching Harry how to act like a Lord", Draco suggested.

"I know table manners", Harry said dryly. "I meant for you to teach me about politics, about how everything works, about the Ministry and how to behave at proper functions, that sort of thing, not tell me how to use my cutlery."

"I know, I was just joking", Draco said, smiling as he leaned over to kiss Harry briefly.

"I'll have the house elves serve dinner at around seven, how's that?" Narcissa asked.

"That's fine", Harry replied. Draco nodded as well.

"Okay, I'll see you at dinner. Oh, and I left all your bags in your room", Narcissa added, before leaving the two of them.

"Well, let's get all this upstairs then", Draco said. Harry groaned exaggeratedly, but nodded and did as Draco had suggested, grabbing the bags he had dropped earlier and following Draco upstairs, wondering if he should change for dinner or not.

* * *

As Harry and Draco sat down to lunch the following day, an owl arrived for Harry from Gringotts, with a package. Harry accepted it and the owl flew off.

"That'll be your account information, then", Draco remarked.

"I guess so, will you help me look through it?" Harry asked.

"Sure", Draco agreed, sitting close beside Harry. Harry opened the package and slid out the contents, while Draco put a few sandwiches on a plate and put the plate where they could both reach it. Harry spread out the papers, leaving the four vault keys to one side.

"So I have four vaults then", Harry noticed.

"Unless any are duplicate keys", Draco said. Harry looked at the numbers before shaking his head.

"Nope, four different numbers, so four different vaults. So, what is all this stuff then?"

"Various bits of paperwork", Draco said thoughtfully, paying more attention to the papers than anything else as he blindly reached for a sandwich. Harry smiled slightly and moved the plate towards Draco's hand, grabbing a sandwich for himself as well. They ate the sandwiches in silence, Draco looking over the papers while Harry watched him do so, figuring that he'd understand little of it anyway. As Draco wiped the crumbs away, he sat back slightly.

"Okay?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, sorry."

"No problem, so what does it all mean?"

"It's actually pretty obvious, you could have worked it out for yourself", Draco said accusingly, although he was smiling slightly.

"Yeah, but this way you can explain to me the bits which I might not have figured out for myself."

"I guess", Draco sighed. "Okay then, there's a list of your properties and a few details about them – you have 12 properties in different countries, 2 from the Potter estate and 10 from the Black estate. You have four vaults – two contain money, one contains various rare potions and ingredients, and a fourth has other items which are safer under lock and key, such as old books or jewellery, that sort of thing. There's are lists of what is in those last two vaults. Your money couldn't be combined into one vault – the Blacks had 6 and the Potters had one plus the one you already knew about – but they managed to combine it into two vaults which are larger than the previous ones. There are brief statements here for the last few months from the Black vaults and for the last year from the Potter vaults."

"So since I owned them?" Harry asked.

"Yeah", Draco nodded. "Any charges made since then without your approval can be revoked."

"Can't I just revoke all of them?" Harry smiled.

"No, because some will be yours from when you got money out over the year, as well as from yesterday, which is already added to the bottom, see?" Draco indicated the bottom line of one of the statements.

"Okay", Harry said slowly. "So the things in my vaults, all the rare items and potions...what do I do, just leave them there?"

"They'll be fine just left there", Draco said. "If you want to do anything with them then it's up to you, it all belongs to you, after all."

"So, four vaults...is that more than you, then?" Harry asked jokingly. Draco stiffened slightly and reached for another sandwich, ignoring Harry's question. "Er...Draco?" Harry asked. Draco sighed, setting the half-eaten sandwich down on the plate.

"After my fa – after he died, the Malfoy vaults were frozen. Until the Ministry decides whether or not I deserve to inherit, I can't access my accounts."

"What about yesterday?"

"I was allowed a reasonable amount of money for school supplies and for spending", Draco replied.

"Is there anything I can do?" Harry asked. "You know that I don't like using my name, but if it'll help..."

"I doubt it", Draco sighed. "The thing is...the Minister was under an inquiry, but he's still in office, it was decided that he was tricked but also that it wasn't necessarily his fault...there's going to be an election in a few months, and it'll be down to a vote whether or not Fudge stays in power of if someone else takes over. As part of his campaign strategy, Fudge is going out of his way to make sure that all Death Eaters are rounded up, and as my father was proven to be one..."

"He's had your accounts frozen until they decide if you or your mother are Dark?" Harry finished for him. Draco nodded.  _Still,_ Harry said to himself,  _perhaps there's something I can do...I wonder..._  "Who's running against Fudge?" Harry asked.

"For the election? Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"An Order member?! That will basically make Dumbledore in charge, surely?"

"I guess, why?"

"I don't know, I just...I don't want that, Dumbledore has enough power already, and he's just as manipulative as a Slytherin", Harry said.

"Don't insult my House", Draco said jokingly.

"Hey, it was almost my House too, you know."

"I know, and you're more like a Slytherin than a Gryffindor as far as I can tell."

"How about Gryffindor in public and Slytherin in private?" Harry suggested. Draco smiled and reached back to the plate, picking up his half-eaten sandwich and finishing it. Harry also reached for another sandwich, the two of them continuing to eat in amiable silence.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Harry and Draco were in the living room when Narcissa entered.

"Are you two off out somewhere?" she asked them.

"Yeah, we're going to Harry's – er, relatives", Draco said unsurely.

"Well, Lily's relatives anyway", Harry said. "And I guess I'm loosely related to them, right?"

"How distant are they really?" Narcissa asked. "They obviously aren't your aunt, uncle and cousin."

"No, I am a shinobi after all", Harry smiled. "Er...James was my father's cousin – one of my fathers – so he's my – er..."

"Second cousin", Draco supplied.

"So Lily is my what, second cousin-in-law? That would make Petunia my second cousin-in-law's sister..."

"Yeah, I don't think there's a name for it", Draco said.

"It doesn't matter. We're going to get some stuff I need for school, I left everything there over the summer."

"Why don't you bring it all here?" Narcissa suggested. "There's more than enough room for it all here – you can store what you don't need for school in one of the rooms, or in Draco's if you'd like."

"Thanks Mrs Malfoy", Harry said.

"I did say you could call me Narcissa", she pointed out.

"I know, I just...can't", Harry said.

"Don't worry, I understand. Be careful you two, and try to avoid doing anything that could even be considered magic, the Ministry is still watching us", Narcissa reminded Draco.

"We're using the Floo to get there, and we're hoping we can be done before they get back", Draco replied.

"Vernon will be at work and Dudley will be out with his gang, at least for the next hour, if not longer. Petunia may be there, but she'll probably leave when she sees me", Harry explained.

"Be careful anyway", Narcissa told them. The two young men nodded and went over to the fireplace, Harry going first and Draco following, and with a flash of green fire, they found themselves in number 4 Privet Drive.

Petunia noticed the two of them almost immediately, as Harry stepped out of the fireplace, brushing himself off as the fireplace flared again and Draco arrived as well.

"You're back then", she said accusingly.

"Just getting my things and then you'll never have to see me again", Harry said calmly.

"What about next summer?"

"Seventeen is the legal age of adulthood in the wizarding world, so I won't have to be back here again", Harry replied.

"Fine", she huffed. "Your things are where you left them, take it all and go, and if I do never see you again it will be too soon. I'll leave you and the other freak to it." She stormed past them and out of the front door, closing it softly behind her so that the neighbours would not suspect anything, leaving Harry and Draco staring after her.

" 'Freak'?", Draco repeated.

"It's what they call anyone with magic", Harry explained. "Come on, my things are in the cupboard under the stairs and in my bedroom upstairs –"

"Not your bedroom any longer", Draco said, leaning in to place a quick kiss on Harry's lips.

"No, I guess it isn't", Harry agreed. "We can't use magic though – it may take a while to get it all back to the Manor..."

"I can call a house elf", Draco suggested.

"No, I want to go through everything – I don't want to take any of those old clothes, or anything else I don't need anymore – I'm not sure if we can finish before they get back."

"Well, maybe they'll go out for dinner or something to avoid you", Draco said reassuringly. Harry smiled and showed Draco upstairs to his former bedroom. Draco made no comment about the various locks on the door, although Harry knew he was annoyed.

It took them around an hour and a half to sort through all of Harry's things. All of Dudley's old hand-me-downs were left in neat piles in the middle of what was Harry's bedroom, and all of Harry's old textbooks which he no longer needed were separated out from the rest. Draco had used the Floo to return to the Manor and Harry was sending through the various bits of luggage. Just as he was about to send his trunk, the last item, there was a knock at the front door. Harry decided to answer it, and stood up. Draco Flooed back in, as nothing had come through for a few moments, just as Harry re-entered the room, closely followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Ah, I see this is still going on then?" Kingsley asked, indicated Harry and Draco in a way which they both assumed referred to their relationship.

"Yeah, it is, in fact I'm just taking my things for school to his house – I'm staying overnight so that I can get to Kings' Cross easily tomorrow", Harry replied.

"Overnight? Isn't that a little..."

"Inappropriate?" Harry finished for him, hiding his smirk. "That's not really your business, is it?"

"I came round here to discuss your encounter with Arthur and the others in Diagon Alley yesterday", Kingsley said, changing the subject.

"What about it?" Harry asked.

"You refused to join them –"

"I refused to go around shops I'd already been to just so that they could question everything I said or did, as well as my relationship with Draco", Harry interrupted. "I wasn't rude, I merely stated that there was no point me going to the same places more than once when I had a lot to do – in fact, we didn't end up leaving Diagon Alley until around 5.30, right Draco?"

"That sounds about right", the blond agreed. "The shops were starting to close up just as we finished."

"Precisely, so I wouldn't have had time to join them", Harry concluded. Kingsley looked between the two of them for a moment.

"Very well, now then, I wanted to talk to you about another matter Harry...if you wouldn't mind...?" he looked between Harry and Draco. Harry sighed and looked towards Draco, nodding almost imperceptibly. Draco nodded back, taking Harry's trunk and the pile of old books and Flooing back to Malfoy Manor.

"What is it?" Harry asked, masking his impatience with practised ease.

"I'm sure you've heard, if not from Mr Malfoy then from someone else, that that idiot Fudge can only be removed from office by the elections at the end of this year, and I am currently the only one running against him..."

"And you want me to endorse you?" Harry guessed.

"Well, it would practically assure my victory..."

"Yes, I'm sure it would", Harry said, walking over to the Floo. The front door opened and all three Dursleys came in.

"I thought you were leaving for good, Potter", Vernon almost spat.

"Just going now", Harry said airily. "Anyway, as I was saying, I'm sure my endorsement would assure your victory...I'll think about it." The fireplace flared up around him as he dropped the Floo powder and returned to Malfoy Manor. In the Dursleys sitting room, Kingsley remained looking at the fireplace for a few moments.

"Aren't you leaving too?" Vernon asked him.

"Yes, of course, I apologise."

"At least we didn't have to deal with him for the summer, he was too busy, and now he's gone for good", Petunia said.

" 'For good'?" Kingsley repeated. "Although he can leave once he is seventeen, he has to return here next summer, at least until his birthday."

"He told us he wouldn't be back", Petunia replied. "Now, if you wouldn't mind?" she asked, her politeness clearly forced as she indicated the door. Kingsley nodded and left, walking a short distance from the house and casting a small spell to hide his departure as he Apparated away.

Kingsley appeared just outside of the Hogwarts school gates, as close as he could Apparate to the school. He quickly made his way inside and up to Dumbledore's office. Once he arrived, he recounted what had just happened at Privet Drive to Dumbledore, who quietly listened, taking it all in.

"What do you think?" Kingsley asked as he concluded his retelling of the events which had just happened.

"Harry may want to think about endorsing you as he may want to look up what that entails", Dumbledore replied thoughtfully. "I am still concerned about his relationship with Mr Malfoy – the son of a proven Death Eater is hardly an appropriate match for the Saviour of the Wizarding World – I will work on separating the two of them. As for Harry's absence, I expect he was out with Draco frequently, perhaps even overnight sometimes – you did just inform me that he was definitely going to stay overnight tonight after all – but as for not returning next summer..." Dumbledore trailed off, thinking to himself.  _I haven't much longer to live,_ he said to himself.  _I need Harry to concentrate on the Horcruxes, to find them all with me so that I can share some of the glory...and possibly even find a way to extend my life without having to resort to anything too drastic... Whether I live or die, I do need to ensure Harry will be loyal to me – when he finds out the amount of money which I have taken from his accounts, as well as when he discovers that that idiot Sirius made Harry his heir... I need Harry's definite loyalty before he turns seventeen next summer and tries to access his vaults – he may legally be able to do so at sixteen, but I doubt he knows that, so he will probably wait until next year..._

"Dumbledore?" Kingsley interrupted his thoughts.

"Ah, sorry...As I was saying, I'm sure I can separate Harry and Draco and ensure Harry's loyalty to our cause, including endorsing you", Dumbledore said. Kingsley nodded and departed, leaving Dumbledore to his thoughts, the old man completely unaware of how much Harry knew – and what they young man was going to do with what he did know.

* * *

**Next Chapter - The students return to school and Naruto's pregnancy!**


	3. Returning to School

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they all be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

Harry leaned his head back and closed his eyes, shutting out the noises outside the window. Across from him, Draco smiled slightly, before quickly hiding it.

"Tired already?" he asked.

"If you mean would I rather be in bed, then that depends on if you're there or not", Harry replied, opening his eyes and looking across at his boyfriend.

"This year will be different – we don't have to hide, so we can meet more often", Draco pointed out.

"Including our bed in the Room of Requirement?" Harry asked, smirking as Draco blushed slightly and shushed him. The compartment door opened and some Slytherins entered, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott.

"What did you say to him?" Pansy asked Harry.

"Not important", Harry said in reply.

"How long have you two been on the train for?" Theo asked.

"We got here early, trying to avoid the Gryffindors", Harry responded.

"You are a Gryffindor yourself", Blaise reminded him.

"Trust me, he's more a Slytherin than a Gryffindor", Draco commented.

"I thought we said Gryffindor in public and Slytherin in private", Harry teased.

"What counts as private?" Draco countered. Harry inclined his head, relenting, before leaning back again and closing his eyes.

"I take it the Gryffindors have various issues with you two", Pansy said from beside Harry. He stiffened slightly in response, before Draco replied:

"Yeah, do you?"

"Doesn't bother us, you wouldn't be with him if wasn't at least a little bit of a Slytherin", Blaise answered.

"More than a little, actually, he was very nearly put into our House..." Draco trailed off. The other three looked at Harry, who opened his eyes to look at them impassively.

"How were your summers then?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah, you are completely away from the magical world when at your relatives, aren't you?" Draco mused, realising he had told Harry very little about what had happened in Britain while Harry was in Konoha, in part as Draco had spent much of the summer in France.

"I know about the Minister and the elections and Kingsley", Harry reminded him.

"The last few months have pretty much just been a search for any remaining Death Eaters", Pansy stated. "The Ministry won't announce that they've found them all – it'll be too embarrassing for Fudge if he's later proven wrong – but it seems that, if anyone is left, then they were so low down Voldemort's hierarchy before that they won't know anything important, or even useful."

"We've all been questioned as well", Theo remarked.

"In case you were young Death Eaters?" Harry assumed.

"Yeah, Draco and Theo probably had it worse as their fathers really were Death Eaters, Pansy and I aren't actually the children of Death Eaters", Blaise said.

"Mostly just questions", Theo replied. "As much as the Ministry wants to be sure about us, they also don't want to accuse us if we are innocent, that wouldn't make Fudge look good either."

"Sounds like it must be difficult for him", Harry pointed out. "Fudge, I mean – he can't move too slowly or too quickly, he can't accuse you all or assume your innocence..."

"What are you plotting?" Pansy asked.

"Er – what?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Nothing", she replied. "It's just that...well, if you were a Slytherin and you said something like that then I'd assume you were planning something, and Draco did say that you are close to being a Slytherin, so..."

"I see", Harry said thoughtfully.

"Harry", Draco said, causing said young man to look at the blond. "What are you plotting?" Draco continued.

"I'll tell you when I've thought it through a bit more", Harry responded cryptically. The four Slytherins all looked at him, before turning to their own conversations about the summer, leaving Harry to think about whatever it was that he was planning.

Around an hour later, as the train rattled along through the English countryside, the conversation turned back to the Ministry's activities over the summer.

"Crabbe and Goyle aren't coming back to Hogwarts", Blaise said.

"Why not?" Theo asked.

"Their fathers were Death Eaters, and they themselves apparently showed Dark tendencies when they were being questioned", Blaise replied.

"Are you sure they weren't just hungry?" Harry asked. The others looked at him before they all chuckled at his comment, Harry included. After a moment, Blaise continued:

"I don't know what happened, but they were pulled from Hogwarts – they're going to Durmstrang instead."

"Do we know if anyone else has been pulled from school?" Draco asked.

"I don't know any others yet, but I'm sure we'll notice when we get back", Blaise answered.

"Well, Theo and I should go to the prefects carriage", Pansy announced.

"You're the Slytherin prefects this year?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, who are Gryffindor's?" Theo asked.

"No idea, sorry", Harry apologised.

"Never mind, we'll find out now", Pansy shrugged, before leaving the train compartment, Theo following her and closing the compartment door behind them.

"You do realise that the Slytherins are going to be even more hated than usual?" Blaise asked Harry.

"I assumed they would – what has that got to do with me?"

"I expect that people will accuse Draco of forcing you to be with him in some way."

"They did that the second they found out about us", Draco remarked dryly.

"And I don't care what they say to me", Harry stated.

"It's more that the Ministry may take it seriously, they may demand rape tests and blood tests and –"

"I think I have a plan", Harry interrupted Blaise. "I'm not telling you what it is – either of you," he added, looking at Draco, " – but if it works then it will solve a lot of the problems that the Slytherins will have. Unfortunately, I can't do anything for some time after we start school, so..."

"I think we can handle it", Draco said.  _I wonder what's he's planning?_  Draco asked himself.  _Oh well, if he doesn't want to tell me then he won't, I just hope he doesn't endanger himself – he won't do anything stupid, I know that, and he can protect himself, but still, he's a Lord now, with two titles, I just hope he remembers that around his plotting..._

* * *

The rest of the train journey passed by relatively uneventfully. While stretching his legs by walking up and down the train, Harry encountered Luna selling copies of the  _Quibbler_ , with Neville helping her. He ducked into a bathroom to avoid Ron and Hermione, who apparently were still prefects, as they were patrolling the train. When he returned to the compartment after that, he found out that Ron and Hermione had peered into the compartment in which Draco and Blaise were sitting to make Death Eater-related comments, as well as to tell Draco that they would get Harry away from them, which Draco laughed off. As Harry climbed up onto one of the Thestral-drawn carriages, he was considering what Ron and Hermione may do, how far they would go to get him away from Draco. Draco and Blaise followed him onto the carriage, while Harry continued thinking, hoping that he would end up in as few classes with Ron and Hermione as possible – he knew that was unlikely, Hermione would take as many subjects as possible and last he heard Ron wanted to be an Auror, which would require many of the same subjects that he and Draco were taking. Harry was snapped from his thoughts as Neville and Luna also joined them in the carriage.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Luna asked softly, although the question was somewhat irrelevant, as the Thestral had already started moving.

"No problem", Blaise shrugged.

"We figured you'd rather we joined you than them", Neville said to Harry, indicating behind the carriage, where Ron and Hermione had been prevented from joining Harry, Draco and Blaise by Neville and Luna doing so instead.

"Yeah, thanks", Harry said.

"For what it's worth, I don't think it's anyone else's business who you date", Neville said to Harry.

"Thanks", Harry replied. "So, how long have you two been together?" he asked Neville and Luna.

"Since the last week of last year", Neville said, trying to hide the blush creeping over his face. "When you were unconscious for those few days", he added quietly.

"Fair enough", Harry said.

For the rest of the carriage ride, the five students sat in amiable silence. As they entered the school and made their way to the Great Hall, Harry grabbed Draco's hand.

"Like you said, we don't have to hide anymore", Harry said, in response to Draco's questioning look.

"Well, in that case..." Draco trailed off. Harry looked at him, wondering what Draco was going to do, but he got his answer as they entered the Great Hall. The five of them separated to make their way to their House tables, but before Draco released Harry's hand, he pulled the dark-haired young man into his arms and kissed him, briefly and chastely, then hugged him slightly before walking to his own table. Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table, smiling slightly, and sat down beside Neville. Several students had stopped their conversations when the two young men kissed, but they all started up again now, at least some of them talking about Harry and Draco's relationship. Harry's gaze swept along the teacher's table, wondering who the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher would be, and as he looked he noticed the frown on Dumbledore's face, the old man looking towards the Slytherin table. Harry shifted his gaze back to his own table, which was filling up with students, to avoid Dumbledore's look as it shifted towards him. Harry knew that Dumbledore's frown was related to his and Draco's kiss, and realised it wouldn't just be students that would be trying to separate him and his boyfriend.

As the Sorting occurred, Harry avoided looking back to the teacher's table – much as he wanted to know about the new Defence teacher, he also didn't want to accidentally meet Dumbledore's eyes. Harry knew about Dumbledore's skill with Legilimency, and having not practised his own Occlumency for some weeks, he didn't want to inadvertently allow Dumbledore access to his mind. Regardless, Harry didn't have long to wait before the Sorting was concluded and the Headmaster stood to give his usual beginning of term announcements.

"Welcome new students and welcome back former students", Dumbledore began. "I will make this brief – the forest beyond the school is forbidden, as current students will be aware of, as entering the forest can be a dangerous thing. We have a new teacher this year, although some of the older students may remember him – please welcome back Remus Lupin as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!" There was a round of applause, which Harry joined in, even though he wasn't sure how he felt about even more Order members watching him. "That is everything for now", Dumbledore continued. "So, without further ado, let's eat!" The tables magically filled with foods, and everyone started eating and talking.

As he ate, Harry remained mostly quiet, until Neville prodded him in the side.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry", Harry replied, not actually paying much attention.

"Misters Potter and Longbottom", Professor McGonagall said, coming up behind them. "Your timetables for the next two years", she continued, handing them each a sheet of paper from the stack in her arms, before continuing down the table, handing out timetables to the sixth year students.

"So it's the same for two years?" Neville asked.

"I guess so, there's only one thing here – I guess we just needed a new timetable as we're all taking different subjects now", Harry replied.

"Yeah...so, what are you taking?"

"Potions, Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy and Apparition", Harry said, setting down his timetable between his and Neville's plates. "How about you?"

"Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Art, Earth Magic and Apparition", Neville said, putting his timetable beside Harry's so that he could compare the two. "Looks like we have some classes together", he said.

"Quite a few, I would have thought", Harry remarked.

"For NEWT years all four Houses are mixed", Neville said. "But there are still two classes as some people may have clashes with other subjects – we're together in Defence, but not in Charms or Transfiguration, see?"

"Yeah", Harry nodded. He hoped that he still shared many classes with Draco, after all, they only had one subject different. At the same time he hoped that he didn't have too many classes with Ron and Hermione, as they would only use the time to berate him for his relationship, especially if it was a class like Care of Magical Creatures, where it was easy to have conversations.

"What about Draco?" Neville asked.

"We're doing almost the exact same subjects, only one difference", Harry replied. "So hopefully we'll be together a lot."

"And away from Ron and Hermione?" Neville asked under his breath. Harry smiled slightly and nodded.  _Well, at least Neville is on my side,_ Harry thought to himself.  _Which also means he'll probably tell me if he finds out that Ron and Hermione are planning anything..._

Everyone finished their food and gradually made their way to their common rooms, the new first years being led by the fifth year prefects as usual. Harry shot Draco a small smile as the blond walked off down to the dungeons with the other Slytherins, while Harry and Neville walked up to Gryffindor Tower together. Harry had already arranged to meet Draco the following day, so that they could spend their last day before classes started in the Room of Requirement –  _but first,_ Harry said to himself,  _I have to deal with Ron...I can only avoid them all for so long, and we do share a dorm..._  Harry allowed his thoughts to trail off as he wandered up to his dorm, leaving Neville in the common room. He decided to make it look as though he were going straight to bed – in reality, he wanted to practise his Occlumency for a while before going to bed, so that he was prepared for Dumbledore to try Legilimency on him, which he knew he could expect soon.

* * *

Naruto was sitting in his office in the Hokage Tower thinking about Harry, who had returned to Britain a few days previously. While Naruto knew that he had to go back, to train as a wizard and because of Draco, he still found himself missing his brother, who he had become quite close to over the summer. Naruto leant back slightly into his chair, placing his hand on his still-flat stomach as he thought back to earlier that morning, when his morning sickness had started, forcing him out of bed at five in the morning. After that he had showered and gotten dressed early, shouting at Sasuke for getting him pregnant and not helping him deal with it, before heading into the Hokage Tower. The village had been mostly empty, as he walked through at barely 6am, and the Hokage Tower was likewise so – at least it was, but that was a couple of hours ago, and he'd heard Tsunade arrive a few minutes previously. And, as he expected, she knocked at the door and let herself in only a few moments later.

"Morning Naruto, you're here early", she noted, as she sat down opposite him.

"Yeah, well I got woken up at five o'clock to be sick, and I didn't feel like going back to bed afterwards, not with that smirking, arrogant –"

"I get it", she interrupted. "How are you feeling now?"

"Like anything I eat is going to come straight back up again."

"Don't worry, some of it will stay down", Tsunade smiled. "I'm actually surprised you haven't already been being sick, morning sickness usually starts earlier than this."

"And goes on for how long?" Naruto asked.

"A few months or so. How are you feeling other than that?"

"Did you come in here just to check up on me then? Because I told you before, I don't –"

"I actually came in to talk to you about some missions and next year's chunin exams, I just thought I'd check on you at the same time", Tsunade said, interrupting Naruto before he could continue to complain about people thinking he needed babysitting.  _I guess it's a good thing he doesn't know that Sasuke threatened me about what would happen if Naruto were to get harmed in any way,_ Tsunade said to herself.  _Like I would let anything happen to him anyway..._

"So, missions?" Naruto asked, interrupting Tsunade. "And the chunin exams? Surely they just finished in Suna?"

"Yes, it was about next year's ones – they're being held in Konoha, and a little later in the year – late enough that Harry could participate."

"Kakashi did say he was easily at a level high enough to do the exams", Naruto mused. "But what about his team?"

"Well, Sasuke is still a genin, technically, and if Suigetsu wants to continue going on missions..."

"You want to put Harry, Sasuke and Suigetsu together? And then put them up against the twelve year olds just out of the academy? They'll kill them!" Naruto said incredulously.

"I've been thinking about that as well, and there may be some ways in which we can ensure that they don't go up against people too much weaker than them...we'll have to work out the details when we work out what will be in the chunin exams, and who the proctors will be –"

"But there's always some kind of tournament at the end, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but we may be able to make sure that they face each other for it, although even then at least one of them will reach the final... I'm sure we can figure it out, they won't even start until the beginning of next July anyway, that's a long time away."

"Fair enough...you also said something about missions?"

"If the three of them are going to be a team for the exams, we should probably try to send them on a few missions with just the three of them, perhaps over Harry's holidays in a few months time and then in the spring?"

"I'll write to him and see if he can come back during his holidays", Naruto replied.

"And before that we should definitely send both Sasuke and Suigetsu out on other missions – the Elders still have issues over Sasuke's loyalty, so if we send him out on missions as a normal shinobi –"

"As a normal genin, you mean? I don't think he'll want to be chasing lost cats or weeding or –"

"Even though he is technically a genin, we can easily send him out on higher ranked missions given his capabilities", Tsunade reminded him.

"I suppose", Naruto said, clearly annoyed at the idea of Sasuke being away from him for any amount of time.

"I thought you came in so early because you didn't want to be around Sasuke, and any missions will only take him out of the village for a few days at most..."

"I don't want anything to happen to him", Naruto almost whispered, suddenly feeling very sad. Tsunade recognised his rapid change of mood.

"Don't worry, the Elders may not force him on D-rank missions, but it'll only be C or B-rank at most."

"Yeah, but think about what happened on our first C-rank mission", Naruto sniffed.

"Sasuke can take care of himself – he won't let anything happen, not when you're pregnant", Tsunade reassured him. "Do you want to go home for the rest of the day?" she asked.

Naruto looked at her for a moment, blinking away his tears, as he realised that his mood swings may have been the reason he walked out on Sasuke that morning.

"Are you sure that's okay?" he asked. "If I do then you'll have to do work..."

"Don't remind me or I'll change my mind", Tsunade said.

"Okay, thanks", Naruto said, still sniffing softly as he left the office. Tsunade smiled after him, feeling sorry for anyone who had to put up with Naruto's mood swings, including herself, as she gathered some papers from his desk which she realised that she would now have to deal with as Naruto had gone home.

* * *

On Sunday afternoon, the day after they had returned to school, Harry and Draco were in the Room of Requirement. Harry had gotten up early that morning to come to the Room to train, partly so he could avoid the others in his dorm, and partly as he hadn't done any training since he returned. Draco had slept in late, as most students did on the day before classes started again, and joined Harry in the early afternoon, having brought him up some lunch.

"Where did you get –"

"Lunch in the Great Hall just ended. I didn't see you so I figured you'd already be in here – and probably would forget about meals – so I wrapped a couple of sandwiches in a napkin and brought them for you", Draco explained. Harry accepted the food from his boyfriend and ate it, sitting down on the couch which appeared as the Room changed into their usual meeting place, rather than the forested area it had been a few moments previously for Harry's training.

"Thanks", Harry said after a few moments, wiping the crumbs off of himself.

"No problem. So, how was last night with the Gryffindors?"

"Urgh", Harry groaned, sinking back into the couch.

"That good?" Draco teased, pulling Harry so that the dark-haired male was lying down, his head in Draco's lap.

"It wasn't actually that bad – I made it seem like I had gone to bed early, drew the curtains around my bed and charmed them so that I'd have privacy."

"So what was the groan for?"

"I only charmed the curtains one way – I could still hear what was going on in the dorm."

"Was it bad?"

"Not at first, Seamus and Dean figured I was tired, and Neville said I'd seemed that way to him. But Ron...he tried to open my curtains, which didn't work, and then ranted about how he was my best friend and yet I was ignoring him before going off to see Hermione. Later on, after everyone else had gone to bed, he tried my curtains again – I was still awake reading – and then started complaining to himself about how it was all your fault."

"My fault?" Draco asked.

"You sound confused", Harry retorted. "Did you not realise that everything was going to be your fault from now on?"

"I guess."

"Just wait until dinner tonight, it's a weekend so no school uniform", Harry pointed out.

"What do – oh, right, your new clothes", Draco remembered.

"I have no problem looking like a pureblood, and it's none of their business...but they're probably going to blame you for it, say that you're dressing me up as your whore or something."

"If they start calling you things like that, they'll have...well, they'll have you to deal with, right?" Draco smirked.

"I can ignore them, their opinion doesn't matter that much."

"What about this morning?" Draco asked.

"Hmm? Oh – I left before they were up. Although, I did get a look at Ron's timetable – on which Hermione wrote her own, as if he needs to know where she is every second she's not with him – and I saw it with my Sharingan activated, so..."

"You know their classes?" Draco asked. Harry nodded, so Draco continued: "Well, let's compare ours – do you have yours?"

"No, but I memorised it already, let me see yours." Draco handed Harry his timetable from the bag which he had brought with him. Harry's eyes quickly scanned over the parchment, his smile widening as he read it.

"Not bad", Harry commented.

"So?" Draco asked.

"We share every class except the ones we aren't both doing – and when I'm in Arithmancy you're free, and when you're in Ancient History, I'm free."

"We share all our classes with at least someone from Slytherin too – by which I mean Blaise, Theo and Pansy", Draco added. "What about Granger and Weasley?"

"They're doing some of the same subjects, but not at the same time."

"Are we ever in classes with them?"

"We're all in Apparition on Wednesday afternoons...but I think everyone has it at the same time", Harry said.

"All the Slytherins do..."

"As does Neville", Harry added. "Hermione has no free periods as she is doing too many subjects, but Ron isn't, so we have some free periods at the same time as him, but that doesn't mean anything, we can just find somewhere where he isn't."

"If we have free periods at the same time then you can always come down and study in the Slytherin common room", Draco suggested. "After all, it's not like that would bother the Gryffindors...or Dumbledore..."

"Okay, but not always, like I told you before, I want people to see us together", Harry replied, handing Draco's timetable back to the smirking blond. "The only other class is Potions," Harry continued, "which we share with Hermione – but I doubt Snape will let her bother us too much, I'm pretty sure she is the only Gryffindor other than me to get a grade high enough to continue Potions, and Snape likes me...sort of."

"So you can avoid them almost constantly – you'll only have to deal with them when you go to bed, especially if you're in here training."

"I can easily get around the school unseen, and I got a lot of practise last year at operating under little sleep – I'll probably stay in here past midnight training, then go back – or just sleep here, especially if you're involved." Harry pushed himself up from where his head was in Draco's lap, leaning up to kiss the blond, who happily kissed back. Harry let his head drop back into Draco's lap.

"Remus is back as the Defence teacher", Draco stated.

"I know...as if having Dumbledore here isn't enough of an Order presence."

"On the other hand, he is the only competent teacher we've had so far, which is pretty bad given we're in our sixth year now."

"I guess", Harry said unsurely.

"We have Defence first thing tomorrow morning – it's our first class – so why don't we see how he is then?"

"As long as I get to sit with you", Harry said.

"Sure", Draco agreed. "Now, about this Order thing...have you figured out what you're going to do about them?"

"Why is it always my responsibility?" Harry whined, rolling over to bury his face in Draco's lap. Draco carded his fingers through Harry's dark hair.

"Because you know that they're going to try to manipulate you into going after the Horcruxes – not that you shouldn't, but wouldn't you rather do it on your own terms?"

"I will...I am", Harry said. "But it's just getting harder...I have to consider the possibility of Dumbledore using Legilimency on me, Remus could take advantage of the fact that I don't actually hate him all that much, Shacklebolt wants me to endorse him...and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold off on that."

"Okay", Draco said slowly. "Firstly, if you are a good enough Occlumens to block Snape, then you can block Dumbledore, you just need to practise – and you can always ask Snape to help you. Secondly, Remus may or not actually like you, so let's wait and see what he tries, but stay cautious. And thirdly, it's been two days since Shacklebolt asked you to endorse him – with your political ignorance you can hardly be expected to make a quick decision, can you?" Draco asked.

"Actually, yes, that's the point – I'm supposed to be so politically ignorant that I will blindly agree even without knowing what I am doing", Harry said, rolling back over to look up at Draco, who continued playing with Harry's hair.

"What's your plan, then – or do you really not have one?"

"Honestly? I want you to teach me as much as you can about politics over the next week... then I'm going to endorse Fudge."

"Really?"

"It will prevent Dumbledore getting more power, and I can easily make Fudge believe that all of his previous problems were down to Dumbledore...if I can ingratiate myself with him then I can make sure he'll be a good Minister."

"So what exactly do you want my help with if you already have all that?" Draco asked. Harry hit his leg playfully, before sitting up and replying:

"You know what I want."

"Yeah, I do", Draco smirked, before leaning into to kiss Harry deeply. Harry opened his mouth to allow Draco's tongue inside, moaning as the blond pulled him closer.

After a few moments, they broke apart:

"Not what I meant, but I guess I can forgive you", Harry said, gasping slightly.

"So, do you want to stop shinobi training and start doing some work now?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, I should probably look through my Arithmancy books so I have some idea of what was taught in previous years", Harry said.

"Perhaps you should hold off on that – I know I was joking before, but I can tell you about the politics of the wizarding world, and probably get a book or two from the Room..."

"That might be a better idea", Harry relented.

"Incidentally...did Granger really write her timetable onto Weasley's?"

"Yeah...why?"

"Do you not think that's weird?"

"Maybe they're dating?" Harry shrugged.

"Or maybe it's so that they know when they're with you", Draco suggested.

"Wait – you think that..."

"You did say that you were worried about the Order presence here", Draco reminded him. "And if they are Order members – which is a possibility when the war is mostly over and it's a less dangerous thing to be in the Order – then..."

"Then they could be spying on me as well", Harry finished.

"Do you still protect your things?" Draco asked.

"The stuff in my dorm is protected by magic and shinobi stuff, even my clothes", Harry replied.

"Good, but if there's anything really important, do you want me to keep hold of it?" Draco asked. "I can put anything you want in my dorm..."

"Thanks, but I think it'll be fine", Harry replied. "If it's not, then it's not like I won't see you everyday anyway...and most of the books we brought which aren't for school were in your trunk anyway."

"So, should we do some politics then?" Draco asked, standing up from the couch and holding his hand out to Harry.

"You make it sound like such a dirty subject", Harry commented, before standing up and allowing Draco to lead him over to the desk they used for studying.

"If you think that politics is anything but dirty then we clearly have a lot of work to do", Draco said. Harry smiled slightly, but did agree with Draco.

Two and a half hours later, Harry had his head in his arms, which were folded on the desk. Draco had explained to him quite a lot of information, and Harry was trying to take it all in.

"Okay", Harry said, sitting up and taking a deep breath. "So, all Lords have some political function. There are three levels, so someone is either a first, second or third tier Lord, the first being the highest. The first tier Lords are supposed to make up the Wizengamot, perhaps with some second tier Lords if there are vacant seats but that's changed recently because..."

"The wizard in charge can remove people if he can give a valid reason to the Minister – and the person in charge was Dumbledore until around a year ago, plus some families are being considered for removal now as they are too Dark."

"Okay", Harry said again. "Potter is third tier and Black first tier, so I should hold a seat in the Wizengamot, but I might not because of Dumbledore...either way, that means I can speak personally with the Minister without an appointment?"

"Technically, yes, but it's still more polite to make one first. It also means that lower Lords may defer to you, despite your age."

"That makes sense. As for elections, they're held at the end of December so there's a new Minister for the New Year. They're held every ten years, or when an election is called for, like this year, and anyone aged 17 or over can vote."

"Yep", Draco said.

"The Minister's staff is supposed to advise him, and he has control over the whole Ministry by personally speaking with Heads of the various sections."

"Yeah, that's basically it", Draco said.

"Why does it have to be so complicated?" Harry asked, dropping his head back into his arms.

"Is the Muggle government easier?" Draco asked.

"No, that makes even less sense, but I don't have to know about that."

"What about in Konoha?"

"Hokage is in charge, she has an assistant and people who do administrative things...it's not a democracy, so it makes more sense", Harry said.

"Yeah, but as this is a democracy it means you can influence the vote to go how you want it – and keep Dumbledore from getting more power", Draco pointed out.

"I suppose...so, how about I write to the Minister personally, explaining that I hold two Lordships and would like to speak to him regarding his upcoming elections...would it be rude if I didn't sign it?"

"You could include in the letter that you are still at Hogwarts and will not be 17 for another month, and you don't want anyone to find out about your meeting...perhaps include that you are Lord Black?"

"That could work, the name has more political clout than Potter, and if I say Lord Potter, I may as well just sign it with my own name."

"You do realise that he may not want to speak to you when he does realise that it's you?" Draco asked.

"I know, but it's not like it'll be that easy to get here – I'm not allowed to just walk out of school whenever I want, am I?"

Before Draco could respond, a book suddenly flew off a shelf and opened itself to a particular page, before becoming motionless. Harry looked at Draco questioningly, before slowly picking up the book and reading out the page:

"Hogwarts school rule number 102-A: Any student who holds a Lordship and is aged sixteen may leave the school once every month for political reasons, but must return before curfew. Rule 102-B: Once said student is aged seventeen, he or she may leave every two weeks for political reasons, but must return to the school before curfew if the following day contains lessons. If the following day is a Saturday or a Sunday, said student will be permitted to return at any point until midnight. Rule 102-C: Once said student is eighteen, he or she may remain out overnight if the following day is a Saturday or Sunday, and until 11pm on other nights, but said student will still only be allowed to leave the school no more than once every two weeks."

"I never knew that was allowed", Draco said.

"It might not be anymore, the rule might have changed, especially with the war", Harry mused.

"Or it might be the same", Draco reasoned. "I can find out for you, if you want?"

"If you don't mind – after all, like you said before, I'll be seventeen in just over a month, so I'll be allowed out every two weeks, especially on Friday and Saturday nights...and if we can get your Lordship returned to you, then we can go on dates – I mean, political meetings with another Lord", Harry corrected himself, the smirk on his face rivalling that of any Slytherin. Draco's expression was much the same, as he leaned in to kiss Harry over the dusty book.

"We should go for dinner", Draco said, as they separated from the kiss. "It will start soon, and if Granger and Weasley don't get some chances to –" He was interrupted by Harry kissing him again. Harry pulled back, set the open book down on the table and concentrated, before motioning Draco to turn around...to look where their bed had just appeared.

"How about we hold off on dinner for a little while?" Harry asked, pulling Draco over to the bed and practically throwing the blond onto it.

"Aren't you hungry?" Draco asked. "You didn't have breakfast, so all you've eaten is those few sandwiches I brought you, and –" Draco's thought went unfinished as Harry swiftly pulled down Draco's trousers and underwear in one go, then wrapped his mouth around the head of Draco's hardening cock, sucking it down into his throat. Draco gasped in pleasure, hardening further under Harry's ministrations, before Harry pulled back slightly.

"You're right, I am hungry", Harry said, quickly stripping himself. "But not for dinner", he added, a predatory gleam in his eyes which made Draco gulp – in fear or pleasure, even the blond wasn't sure. Before Draco could even blink, they were both fully naked, and Harry was reattaching his mouth to the end of Draco's now weeping shaft, sucking much more vigorously than before. The blond head fell back onto the soft pillows, and Draco groaned as Harry deep-throated him.

While they were staying in Malfoy Manor, even though they shared a bed, Harry didn't want to go any further, too worried about Draco's mother and what she might hear. They had also agreed to stay in their own dorms the previous night – to put it simply, they hadn't done anything more than kiss since before the Battle in the Department of Mysteries two months previously.

Draco wound his hand into Harry's hair and tugged his head away.

"I want more than your mouth", he said in explanation. Harry almost moaned in response, slipping three of his own fingers into his mouth where Draco's cock had been moments before, wetting them before sliding one into Draco's hole. He wiggled it around a little before sliding in a second, thrusting them in and out, looking for Draco's prostate. He soon found the spot he was looking for, and pressed his two fingers against it, adding a third and practically fucking Draco with his fingers, hitting the spot on every thrust. By this point Draco was a writhing, moaning mess, begging for Harry to do more, and Harry wasn't going to make either of them wait, not when they hadn't done anything in such a long time.

Harry pulled his fingers out and slid himself inside Draco, pressing his entire length inside in one thrust, before Draco even had time to register the loss of the fingers. He angled himself and thrust in deeper, quickly finding Draco's prostate again and ramming against it forcefully. Draco wrapped his legs around Harry's waist, tightening them so that Harry bent forwards slightly, enough for Draco to crane his neck up for a kiss, before letting his head drop back into the pillows as a particularly hard thrust made him moan obscenely.

"Harry, close", Draco gasped out, before he felt a warm hand close around his weeping member.

"Yeah, me too", Harry said, jerking Draco's cock in time with his thrusts. It only took a few more thrusts before Draco tensed up and moaned Harry's name as white strips of come painted his stomach. Harry groaned as well, gasping out Draco's name in response, as he filled Draco with the evidence of his own pleasure. He pulled out, watching with self-satisfaction as some of his come dripped out of the reddened hole, before flopping down onto the bed beside Draco. He pulled the blond into his arms, both of them completely spent, as they laid there basking in the afterglow.

The two of them dozed for around half an hour, curled up around one another contentedly, before Draco reminded Harry about dinner.

"It's almost six, so I guess we should probably go soon", Harry agreed, after casting a wandless  _Tempus_  to determine the time. They quickly cleaned up and dressed themselves, before heading down towards the Great Hall for dinner.

"Probably best we stay in our own dorms tonight, isn't it?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, it probably is", Harry agreed, reaching out to grab Draco's hand, entwining their fingers as they walked together through the school.

"Harry...this might not be the best idea, but...do you want to eat at the Slytherin table?" Draco asked.

"Why not?" Harry responded. "I've said plenty of times that I want our relationship to be obvious, and this way I'll have longer before Ron and Hermione can get to me."

"What about Longbo – er, Neville? He seemed okay with us."

"He is, but he also is dating Luna, so he'll probably sit with her, or her with him...and, no offence to him, but where we sit is our business, not his, and he can just say that to Ron and Hermione if they ask him anything."

"Okay then, but just remember I said that there would probably be consequences."

"I will", Harry said, smiling at his boyfriend as they entered the Great Hall and both went over to sit at the Slytherin table, ignoring the looks and whispers around them, which were obviously about them, as they ate their dinner and talked, Pansy, Blaise and Theo joining them as well.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Classes start, Harry learns more about being a Lord and more stuff related to Naruto's pregnancy!**


	4. Classes Start

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they all be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

First thing on Monday morning, Harry had Defence Against the Dark Arts. Over the last few days he had gotten used to sleeping in late, but he now realised that he would have to get used to that changing, as he rushed around getting dressed around twenty minutes before class started. After practically running to the classroom, he joined Draco just as the class were entering the room. Neville had taken a seat towards the back of the room and Harry joined him, along with Draco and Blaise, who were also in their class.

"Sorry Harry, if I'd known you were still asleep I'd have woken you up, but..." Neville said quietly.

"Don't worry", Harry whispered back. "It's my own fault for getting used to sleeping in – I'll just have to get used to getting up earlier."

"Try setting an alarm on your wand", Draco suggested. Harry's response was merely to childishly stick his tongue out at his boyfriend. "Careful," Draco said under his breath, "I might take that as an invitation to do things in class that you'd probably rather I did in private." Harry fought off the blush as Remus entered the room from the office above.

"Good morning class", he began, coming down the stairs to stand at the front of the room. "Now then, as this is your first lesson as sixth years I have to tell you all about NEWTs and how your next two years – your final two years – at Hogwarts will be structured..."

Remus spent the next forty-five minutes explaining the obvious – that their final two years of school would culminate in NEWTs, how important it was to do well, how they'd graduate at the end – Harry stopped paying attention around ten minutes in, when he realised it was all information that they already knew, and was very similar to the lectures they'd gotten at the beginning of fifth year about OWLs. He was still half paying attention to Remus, just in case anything important was actually said, but mostly he was just thinking about ways to get back at Draco for making him blush like that right before class. His attention was refocussed on Remus as the werewolf started to bring the class to a close:

"Right, so that's everything to do with that – sorry if I bored you, but whatever lesson you had in your first hour would have been like this, everyone else will have the same thing. The lesson's pretty much over, so I should let you go for your next lesson, but first – homework." The groans emitted by the entire class were easily audible. "You are sixth years", Remus reminded them. "But you shouldn't worry, at least not yet – next lesson I will be testing your duelling capabilities, I want to know what level everyone is at...your homework is merely to find a duelling partner. However," he said, stopping the class before they could think that it was that easy, "it can't just be anyone – it needs to be someone who is about the same level as you, or at least close to it, and if possible I want you to choose someone from a different House. That's everything then, off you go", he dismissed the class.

"Harry", Draco began, as the four of them headed to the door, the last ones as they had sat right at the back.

"Mr Potter, a word please", Remus called, before Draco could continue.

"I'll meet you outside", Harry said under his breath, before turning back to Remus. Draco, Neville and Blaise left the room, waiting outside for Harry.

"Yes Professor?" Harry asked.

"I wanted to talk to you...Harry."

"We're in school, Professor", Harry said, speaking somewhat warningly.

"I know, it's just that this is personal...about you and Mr Malfoy –"

"Well, if this is personal then that means I'm free to tell you to mind your own business", Harry interrupted. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get to Charms and your next class is outside." Before Remus could respond, Harry had left the room, joining the other three outside. As they walked down the corridor, they passed Ron and Hermione, who were on their way to Defence.

"Harry, aren't you going this way?" Hermione asked.

"No, I have Charms", he replied.

"Oh, so you aren't in our Defence class...or our Charms class", Hermione continued.

"Great deduction, I see why people think you're so smart", Blaise commented.

"Shut up Zabini, no-one asked you", Ron snarled. Blaise merely raised his eyebrows slightly, not commenting.

"We have to go or we'll be late", Harry said.

"I know, I just would much rather you were in our class", Hermione continued. "Don't you think that would be better? After all, I'm sure you could rearrange your timetable –"

"I think the class was better because you weren't there", Harry said. "It was quite nice not having you answer every single question."

"Well excuse me for being the smartest one in every class", Hermione said, before storming off, Ron right behind her.

The four young men looked as she walked off before heading towards Charms.

"I wouldn't have thought she was always the smartest", Neville commented. "Surely someone else must be better than her at least sometimes, right?"

"It's not like she lets anyone else speak", Harry pointed out.

"She has Potions this afternoon, I think at the same time as you", Neville said.

"I know, it's the only class we share with her or Ron except Apparation", Harry responded. "I hope she tries something there – Snape will shut her up."

"Anyway, before Remus stopped you, I was going to ask you to be my duelling partner", Draco said, changing the subject.

"Sure", Harry replied. "We're about the same level –"

"We're not even close", Draco said. "Not with you being –"

"The Saviour of the Wizarding World?" Harry interrupted, stopping Draco from saying 'shinobi', although as he looked warningly at Draco he realised that the Slytherin hadn't actually been about to reveal his secret.

"I don't know who I'll pair up with", Neville said.

"How about me?" Blaise suggested.

"Er – I'm not really all that good..."

"Me neither", Blaise admitted. "So why not?"

"Okay", Neville agreed. "Do you three all have Charms now?"

"Yeah, you?" Blaise asked.

"No, I'm free, so I think I'll go back to the dorm – no homework yet after all, so there's no point going to the library or anything – I'll see you all later."

Neville waved a quick goodbye to them as he continued up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, while the other three walked towards the Charms classroom, just making it on time. Theo and Pansy, who were also in their class, had saved some seats for them. Flitwick wasted no time explaining to them about NEWTs, obviously knowing that they had heard it all in their first class, and instead started straight into the lesson by teaching them a new charm. Before long, the class was practising the charm, allowing them time to talk while Flitwick wandered around correcting people's pronunciation and wand movements.

"How was your first class?" Pansy asked, as she practised the wand movement for the  _Aguamenti_  charm which they were learning.

"Not bad, just a long lecture", Draco replied. "How about you?"

"Better if Hagrid had spent more time talking", Pansy replied. "His NEWT talk was read out from a piece of paper – he was done within half an hour, so just started talking to us about Thestrals, after all he was interrupted on that last year... anyway, while he was talking about that, Weasley was too busy plotting against Harry."

"Plotting against me?" Harry asked. " _Aguamenti_ ", he hissed quietly, shooting a jet of water into the bowl in front of him.

"Not sure it's supposed to be muddy water", Draco commented. "Sorry – plotting?"

"Yeah, apparently he and Granger are going to find ways to get Harry back to being a proper Gryffindor", she said. "I'm not sure how, he was just seeing if one of the other boys in your dorm would help", she added to Harry.

"Neville was with us, so you must mean Seamus or Dean", Harry mused. "And I don't think they really care much either way."

"I think they're going to go through your things", Theo revealed. "It would have been Seamus Finnegan – Dean Thomas was in Runes with me – and Granger. She was trying to talk him into going through your things – she thinks Draco has spelled you into being with him."

"Do you have anything you don't want them to find?" Harry asked.

"We packed so quickly that most of the books we bought ended up in your trunk", Harry thought out loud. "The only things I have are clothes and school books – although I think I have some of your clothes", he added.

"I can come up with you later and we can look?" Draco suggested. "Then we can go down to Slytherin and check through my stuff as well."

"You guys might want to wait for a free period", Blaise suggested. "Just in case...well, you know."

"You memorised our timetables already, didn't you?" Draco asked Harry. Flitwick looked in their direction, so Draco added: " _Aguamenti_ ", producing a jet of water – just as muddy as Harry's had been.

"Not so easy, is it?" Harry commented. "And yeah – we're both free first thing tomorrow morning, but so is Ron, so he'll probably stay in bed late...The next time we're both free is Wednesday after Apparition, although Ron may still be around...although he's around every time we're free, so how about we just ignore him and you come up early tomorrow morning? That will give me something to wake up for."

"Sure", Draco replied, as Flitwick came over to them.

"Now then, how are all of you doing?" he asked, looking at the bowls in front of all of them, most of which had dirty water in them.

"Why is the water coming out muddy?" Harry asked. "Surely it should either work or not?"

"Well, water can be naturally muddy, especially in rivers and lakes", Flitwick replied. "Make sure you are getting the wand movement correct, like this", he demonstrated the curved motion again. "Miss Parkinson?" he asked, noticing that the bowl before her was empty.

"Sorry, I'll try now", she apologised. " _Aguamenti_ ", she incanted. A jet of clear water burst from the tip of her wand and filled the bowl in front of her.

"Well done, ten points to Slytherin", Flitwick congratulated her.

"You're good at this", Harry noticed.

"Yeah, but that also means Flitwick has less problems with me talking in class", she pointed out. Harry nodded, and tried the charm again. The water was cleaner than before, but it still had a distinctively brown tinge to it.

"That's all for now", Flitwick said, standing at the front of the class. "For homework I want twelve inches on how important the wand motion is for this charm. Class dismissed."

The five of them left the room and headed for the Great Hall.

"Why is it they give us so much work – they have to mark it after all", Theo complained.

"They obviously hate us", Blaise agreed.

"Are you going to sit with us again?" Pansy asked Harry.

"Sit with you?" he repeated.

"Yeah, it's lunchtime", she explained.

"Oh, right – good, I'm kind of hungry. And no, I think I'll sit with Neville – if I remember the timetables correct then he's got Charms next, with Ron and Hermione...I might see if I can get him to listen in on their conversations."

"Do you think he will?" Draco asked.

"I don't know", Harry replied honestly. "But if I tell him that I'm worried about what they might try – which is true – then he might tell me if they're planning anything which may affect me."

As Harry had said he would, he sat with Neville at lunch, asking the other Gryffindor to keep an eye on Ron and Hermione. Neville agreed readily – he had also realised that they may try something to separate Harry and Draco, and he had noticed that the two were good together. After lunch, Harry rejoined Draco, Blaise and Theo for Transfiguration for an hour, before they had double Potions to end their first day – which meant double Hermione.

Harry sat at a work station in the Potions room with Blaise and Draco, the three of them having gotten there before Hermione. Fortunately, the work stations were arranged in groups of three, so she was forced to work at a table with two Ravenclaws, although she did look at Harry – and glare at Draco and Blaise. As Harry had expected, Snape's presence prevented her from trying to come over and talk to him – at least for a little while, as soon enough they all started moving around to gather ingredients. Harry quickly gathered the few ingredients required for the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, but that didn't stop Hermione coming over to him while he was preparing the ingredients, as Draco and Blaise had already started brewing and wouldn't be able to interfere.

"At least we have some classes together", Hermione said.

"I'm working Hermione, and I do need to concentrate", Harry replied, checking the page in his Potions book on ingredient preparation and glancing at Snape's instructions on the blackboard.

""Yes, but –"

"Mr Potter is working, as you should be Miss Granger", Snape intoned, coming up behind her.

"I was just –"

"Dawdling?" he finished for her.

"I was seeing if Harry needed help, his Potions grade –"

"He recieved an O for his OWL, which is the requirement for this class", Snape stated. "And I believe his actual mark placed him higher than you, as did Mr Malfoy's and Mr Zabini's – so if anyone here requires help it is you, Miss Granger, in which case you should raise your hand and ask me, not interrupt someone with more aptitude for my subject than yourself."

"But I was just –"

"Returning to your cauldron", Snape finished for her, the look he gave her preventing any further arguments as she slid past him. Harry hid a small smile, which Snape did notice, as he examined Harry's work and nodded before moving along.  _I was right then,_ Harry said to himself.  _The only class I have with Hermione and she can't do anything to me because Snape will shut her up – and I think I know a way to thank him later..._  Harry's thoughts trailed off as he remembered his vault at Gringotts, the one full of rare ingredients and potions. For now though, Harry put it from his mind, instead focussing on the potion he was brewing.

* * *

It had been a week since Harry had left Konoha to return to Hogwarts in Britain, and Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo were in the kitchen late in the evening.

"What exactly do you want us to say to them Karin? That we want to leave because Naruto is pissing us off?" Suigetsu asked.

"Obviously not...perhaps we should say that we thought it would be better to move out to give Sasuke and Naruto their space, especially with a baby on the way", she replied.

"And because Naruto's morning sickness and mood swings are getting on our nerves", Suigetsu added.

"How about you say nothing?" she suggested.

"It does make sense to give them their space anyway", Juugo mused. "But I doubt the Elders will want us to leave, it's easier for them to keep an eye on us if we're all in one place."

"What if we stay in the Uchiha district?" Karin considered. "Then we're still close by, but not too close."

"That sounds like a good idea", Juugo agreed.

"I still think we should just tell Sasuke that Naruto is annoying us", Suigetsu complained.

"And I'm sure he won't chidori you for that comment", Karin stated.

Before Suigetsu could respond, the door opened and Sasuke and Naruto entered the house. Naruto was sniffing slightly as he walked past the three of them and upstairs.

"Er – is he okay?" Karin asked.

"He misses Harry", Sasuke replied.

"Okay...so we need to talk to you about something", Karin said. Sasuke did not reply but merely looked at her, which she took as a sign to continue: "The three of us have been talking, and we thought that perhaps we should move out of this house, so that you and Naruto can have the space for yourselves, and with the baby..."

"And where would you go?" Sasuke asked. "The Elders won't let you live in the village, they don't trust you that much."

"We were hoping you'd let us have a different house still in the Uchiha district", she replied.

"I see", Sasuke stated. For a moment there was silence, before he spoke again: "The Elders may still have a problem with that, but it might be a good idea...after all, Naruto might be annoying you", he added, looking pointedly at Suigetsu, who fidgeted slightly.

"Yeah, well –" he began explaining.

"So it's okay with you then?" Karin interrupted.

"Yes, I will sort out which house...or houses, if you'd prefer to live separately from these two", he considered, looking at Juugo.

"If that would be okay with you", Juugo replied. Sasuke nodded:

"I'll sort it out", he said, before leaving the room and following Naruto upstairs.

"So, you think he heard us before he came into the house?" Suigetsu asked.

"Well, he definitely heard you", Juugo replied, before he also left the room and returned upstairs. Suigetsu leaned back in his chair, then looked forward again when Karin seated herself on his lap.

"You really don't know when to shut up, do you?" she asked him.

"Well, I'm guessing that right now you don't want talking", he responded, before leaning in and kissing her.

"We'll be living together. Just the two of us", Karin said, when they pulled apart.

"So?" Suigetsu asked.

"I'll have to put up with you all the time..." Karin said, trailing off as she stood up and wandered upstairs to bed.

* * *

The following morning, Sasuke had spoken to Naruto, and they had agreed that the other three could move out into two houses, and that they'd also sort a third for Harry. Naruto had told Tsunade of their plans, and she was okay with it, but not everyone was:

"This is not acceptable, Tsunade-hime", Homura said, from where he and Koharu were sitting opposite Tsunade. Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the village Elders, before she replied:

"What exactly is the problem? They'll all still be in the Uchiha district."

"It is clear that Sasuke is planning to rebuild his clan – how long before they try to take the village?" Koharu asked.

" 'Take the village'?" Tsunade repeated in disbelief. "There are no more or less of them now than there was before, they're just going to live separately so that Naruto and Sasuke can have their own space, and Suigetsu and Karin can as well, as they're together."

"No more of them?" Homura repeated. "So the Rokudaime isn't pregnant then?" he asked. Tsunade looked surprised at them, before answering:

"I suppose I should have known that you'd find out about that sooner or later, but what difference does it make? Even including Harry and this baby – or babies if it happens to be twins – how many people is that? Including Naruto, that would make either 7 or 8 people in the Uchiha district – hardly enough to take this village, even should they want to."

"And this baby?" Homura asked.

"What about it?"

"With the linking of the Uchiha bloodline and the Senju bloodline, which still exists in the Rokudaime, the baby will likely be immensely powerful", Koharu stated.

"So?" Tsunade replied. "Naruto and Sasuke are themselves immensely powerful, even if you ignore their bloodlines – so the baby will still be powerful either way. In the end, if the child fights for Konoha, why do you have a problem."

"And if they use the child as a weapon against Konoha?" Homura asked.

"Have you met Naruto? Do you think he'd let anyone use his child?" Tsunade said, standing up from her desk and banging her hands on the table. "I have already approved them to live separately, and they shall. I am helping Naruto through his pregnancy and I will help him give birth. No-one in the Uchiha district is planning anything. Goodbye", she said finally. The two elders relented and stood up to leave.

"Just remember that we warned you when the child tries to take out Konoha", Homura said as a final warning, before he and Koharu left her office. Tsunade sat back into her chair, reaching under her desk for a bottle of sake.  _I'm not going to deny that their child will be powerful,_ she thought to herself,  _but so are Naruto and Sasuke...I don't think Sasuke will go against the village, not again, and Naruto definitely won't, but still...if the baby is like Harry, then he or she could have the Rinnegan as a kekkei genkai..._

* * *

On Saturday morning, Harry got up early, and met Draco in the library while the majority of the students were still in bed.

"You could have met me later you know", Harry said by way of greeting, as he met Draco outside the library.

"I know, but you said you wanted to come here early, and its not like we don't have plenty of work, even if we've only been here a week", Draco replied, opening the door and leading Harry into the library.

"Didn't Lupin say something on Monday morning about how NEWTs weren't as easy as OWLs?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It means that they have to give us more work than last year so we don't think he was wrong."

"And the other teachers are doing it as well because they probably gave the same line?" Draco asked, as he found a table in a fairly secluded area for them to sit at.

"Why not?" Harry asked, lowering his voice slightly in case anyone else – particularly Madam Pince – was around. Draco smiled slightly in response, opening his bag to retrieve the various assignments he had yet to complete. Harry did the same, and Draco immediately noticed:

"Why do you have so much less than me – if anything you should have more, as you have Arithmancy and I have Ancient History – so how come...?"

"I got used to being up late last year", Harry explained. "This week I've trained every evening, not just on Wednesday when you joined me, and afterwards I do some homework before heading back to the dorm around midnight. Plus, with the Sharingan...", he added, lowering his voice.

"Cheater", Draco said, although his tone was playful rather than malicious.

"Maybe, but I have other work to do, right?"

"I guess you do", Draco agreed, smiling slightly.

"Okay, so what have you got there?" Harry asked. "I'd rather help you so that I can do my own work later – that way, when Ron and Hermione will come looking for me – and you know they will after this week – then they can find you teaching me about being a Lord."

"And you're dressed in a way they would call being a 'pureblood'", Drco noticed. "They probably haven't noticed yet, have they?"

"No, I've been in uniform all week and up too late – and dressed in shinobi clothing – after that."

"What about last Sunday?"

"They weren't at dinner, remember? So they haven't noticed yet."

"And Granger will probably come here at some point", Draco sighed.

"Seriously, what work have you got to do? You must have done some it this week."

"I did – I still have the two-foot Defence essay on advanced uses of shielding charms; the 18-inch Charms essay on uses of the  _Aguamenti_ Charm; the three-foot Herbology essay on the Venomous Tentacula; and I have to read this book for Ancient History", Draco replied.

"Okay, what about the Potions essay?"

"Oh yeah, I have that too", Draco remembered.

"Right, well I already did the Defence and Charms essays, do you want to look at mine for ideas?" Harry asked.

"No, I have ideas, I just have to write the actual essay", Draco replied.

"How about we do the Herbology one fist – I haven't done it yet as we don't have Herbology until Wednesday – then you can carry on while I read some books on wizarding etiquette?" Harry suggested.

"That sounds good – oh, and I found out that the rule about leaving the school is still there – if you hold a Lordship then you can leave, just like that book we found in the Room of Requirement last week said."

"Good", Harry replied, with an expression somewhere between a smile and a smirk.

"You look so much like a Slytherin right now."

"Is that a problem?"

"Only because we're in the library and working", Draco muttered. Harry looked confused for a moment, before he realised what Draco meant.

"Does it turn you on when my expression makes me look like a Slytherin?"

"Well, if I like it when you act like a Slytherin, then what do you think?" Draco replied under his breath. "Just admit it – you're a snake really", he added, standing up. "I'll fetch some books for the Herbology essay", Draco said, before wandering off into the stacks. Harry thought to himself –  _a snake? Well, that would make sense – and not just because I'm a parselmouth..._

**_Harry was sitting on the pier which extended over the lake in the Uchiha district. He was supposed to have met Kakashi at one of the training grounds around an hour previously, but he knew that the man would be late, so he had decided to finish the scroll on the Rinnegan which he had been reading the previous night. He had been training with Kakashi for around two weeks now, but the Rinnegan was something he still couldn't control – he couldn't activate it whenever he wanted, and when he did activate it he couldn't really control it, as he wasn't able to activate any particular path which he chose, one of them just activated itself._ **

**_"Weren't you supposed to meet Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, coming up behind him._ **

**_"Yeah, but he's always late so I figured I might as well stay here for a while."_ **

**_"Would you like to spar?" Sasuke asked. "The Elders aren't letting me go on missions, as they still don't trust me – although their excuse is something about needing more time to rest after Britain – and very few people will spar with me."_ **

**_"Probably figure that you'll beat them so there's no point", Harry muttered. Sasuke gave him a look, clearly having heard Harry's comment. Harry looked at him apologetically as he stood up and tucked the scroll into one of the pockets on his trousers._ **

**_"Would you like to spar with me or not?" Sasuke asked._ **

**_"Yeah, sure, but – er, I probably won't win."_ **

**_"You beat Naruto that one time."_ **

**_"That was using magic, which I've been training in for a lot longer...I haven't got my wand on me."_ **

**_"Didn't you bring it with you?" Sasuke asked._ **

**_"Yeah, but I figured if I'm learning how to be a shinobi..." Harry reasoned._ **

**_"I suppose. I won't go easy on you though."_ **

**_"I'm not asking you to...I know that if you're not trying to kill your opponent then you're not trying to win, and you will obviously be trying to win...I just want you to remember what I said when the fight is over after a few moves and you've won."_ **

**_"You shouldn't self-demeaning, you may win through luck – that was always what I thought of Naruto's victories when we were younger."_ **

**_"I guess", Harry relented, walking back down the pier. Sasuke moved slightly away from him, while Harry took a deep breath, blocking out everything around him to focus on their match. He then had to dodge several shuriken which Sasuke threw, managing to evade all of them by moving out of the way. In retaliation, Harry threw several of his own shuriken at Sasuke, but the Uchiha knocked them out of the air by countering the move with more of his own shuriken. Harry looked up to Sasuke's eyes and saw that the Sharingan was activated, realising that was how Sasuke had knocked Harry's shuriken out of the air, how he had seen exactly where to throw them._ **

**_Over his training with Kakashi, Harry had found out that the best way for him to learn something new was to just try it, so he attempted to activate his own Sharingan. His blue eyes briefly changed to red with black swirls, but then continued changing, lightening to a pale purple colour with concentric circles. Harry knew that he had inadvertently activated his Rinnegan instead, and this distraction allowed Sasuke to make a hit, a shuriken whistling past Harry's arm close enough to slice the skin. Harry felt his one of the Rinnegan paths activate within him, and before he could try to take control, a large orange and black centipede, with the same Rinnegan eyes as his own, appeared between himself and Sasuke. Sasuke bit his hand and performed the hand seals to summon Manda, who subdued the centipede. Sasuke used some more hand seals to summon more snakes from his sleeve, which wrapped themselves around Harry, defeating him just as he managed to deactivate his Rinnegan. His eyes faded back through the Sharingan to blue, and the centipede disappeared, as did Manda._ **

**_"That wasn't bad", Sasuke reasoned._ **

**_"Yeah, except I didn't mean to", Harry pointed out. He then switched to parseltongue, and spoke to the snakes: "_ ** **Would you please release me? _" The snakes unwound themselves from Harry and returned to Sasuke, all except one, which stayed curled around Harry's arm._**

**_"That language", Sasuke said._ **

**_"Oh – parseltongue, er – snake language...I did tell you about it before, right?"_ **

**_"Yes, but summons speak the common tongue, by which I mean Japanese."_ **

**_" 'Summons'?" Harry asked._ **

**_"Yes, its similar to what you did just now."_ **

**_"Oh, so you made that massive snake appear by accident then?" Harry asked sarcastically._ **

**_"You still don't have control of the Rinnegan?" Sasuke asked._ **

**_"It generally only activates during a battle, but I can't activate it whenever I want, it just activates itself and something happens...that would have been the Animal path, I guess."_ **

**_"I assume you are working on it?" Sasuke asked, as Harry stepped towards him._ **

**_"Yeah, I am. Anyway, summons?"_ **

**_"The Rinnegan allows you to summon creatures as part of the Animal path, but other shinobi can summon certain animals. You have to sign a summoning contract with your blood, then you can summon them using some more blood and certain hand seals. Although, they don't actually have to do what you tell them."_ **

**_"That sounds a little unhelpful", Harry mused._ **

**_"They won't allow you to sign the contract if they would be unlikely to want to help you, or at least, snakes don't", Sasuke replied._ **

**_"Speaking of snakes", Harry said, looking down at the snake coiled around his arm still._ **

**_"You can release him now", Sasuke said._ **

**_"I'm comfortable here", the snake replied._ **

**_"What's your name?" Sasuke asked._ **

**_"Maia", she replied._ **

**_"Do you want something from me?" Harry asked her._ **

**_"I never knew humans could speak like that", Maia mused. "I like you, I want you to sign a contract, like he just explained to you."_ **

**_"I'm honoured, but I don't know how much use that would be to either of us", Harry replied._ **

**_"She's venomous, so you might want to agree to sign", Sasuke pointed out._ **

**_"I won't be able to summon her while I'm at school though", Harry reasoned._ **

**_"School?" Maia asked._ **

**_"Yes, I spend several months at a wizarding school in a different country", Harry told her._ **

**_"You can summon me while here though, and you must get some privacy there", she maintained._ **

**_"I suppose", Harry said. "Fine, I'll do it...wait, how venomous are you exactly?"_ **

**_"You already agreed, I'll come back later with the contract", she said, before popping away in a wisp of smoke._ **

**_"Er – Sasuke?"_ **

**_"Like she said, you agreed. And I'm not sure how venomous, I don't normally summon that particular snake, I summon the larger ones."_ **

**_"Like that one from before?"_ **

**_"Yes, Manda. But you will have to sign now, you do realise that?"_ **

**_"Is that okay with you?"_ **

**_"Yes, like I said, I usually summon the larger snakes, as I have a contract allowing me to summon any of them...I think she's planning on making it so that you can only summon her."_ **

**_"She just disappeared on her own", Harry noticed._ **

**_"They can come and go of their own accord. She will also be useful in taking messages – you can ask her to bring a message to us and it will get here fairly quickly. Naruto can summon toads who will do the same if we want to write to you."_ **

**_"Okay then. Anyway, I think I will now have to meet Kakashi – I know he's often late, but I was supposed to be there around two hours ago, so..."_ **

**_"Go ahead, we can talk more about this later if you want any more information – but if she's coming back tonight, then we may not have time before that."_ **

**_"That's okay, I'll see what time I get back and I can ask her questions too, right?"_ **

**_"Yeah, you can. See you tonight", Sasuke said. Harry waved as he jogged out of the Uchiha district, wondering how well a snake would be accepted as the pet of a Gryffindor_ ** **– she may not actually be a pet, _Harry added to himself,_  but that's how they'll see her...and I wonder what Draco will think...**

"Harry?" Draco asked, snapping the other young man out of his thoughts.

"Yeah...sorry – what?" he asked.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing, it's not important, just something which happened over the summer", Harry replied, as Draco set down several books on the table. He took three from the top and pushed the others to one side.

"Okay, these three will help us with our Herbology essay", Draco explained. "We can read them together and then write our essays?"

"Sure", Harry agreed.

The two of them spent the next few hours reading everything they needed and completing their essays for Herbology, by which time both of them wanted a break.

"What time is it?" Harry asked. Draco performed a  _Tempus_  spell, revealing that it was just before 11am.

"That's not actually so bad", Draco pointed out.

"No, I guess not – should we take a break or keep going another hour until lunch?" Harry asked.

"May as well keep going until lunch", Draco replied. "I have to take some notes from these books, but then I can work anywhere to actually write the essays. I also grabbed this", he added, handing Harry a book. "It's quite long, but it also explains pretty much everything you need to know about being a Lord, and you already know some of it anyway", he explained.

"Thanks", Harry replied, looking at the cover. "Will you think I'm cheating if I...?" he tapped his temple, indicating that he wanted to use his Sharingan.

"No, I understand – you need to know this stuff quickly after all. Your back is to the door and the rest of the library anyway, so I'll nudge you with my foot if anyone comes this way and you can deactivate it."

"Okay, thanks", Harry said, smiling at Draco before activating his Sharingan. Draco looked at his boyfriend as the red and black swirled eyes rapidly slid across the lines of the book.

"Of course it would help if I didn't think your eyes looked hot like that", Draco muttered. Harry didn't look up from the book, but he did smile, before his expression changed into a devious grin – and Draco was fairly certain the scheming look on Harry's face wasn't to do with what he was reading.

Just under an hour later, Harry closed the book, having finished it, just as Draco closed his books.

"Good timing", Harry noted, as his eyes faded back to their usual blue colour.

"You read the whole thing?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, I skipped some bits I already knew – the Sharingan basically lets me copy the words into my mind", Harry explained quietly.

"So its like photographic memory", Draco mused.

"Well, that's not all I can do with it, but yeah, sort of", Harry replied. "Shall we go for lunch then?" he asked.

"I'll put all the books back, you pack away our essays into our bags and meet me by the door?" Draco suggested. Harry nodded in reply, and the blond stood up, carrying the pile of books away from the table to return them to the shelves he had gotten them from. Harry rolled up the essays and put them all into Draco's bag, then put both their quills and ink pots in his bag. He walked over to the door and waited for Draco, who joined him a moment later.

"You know, it's been strangely quiet", Draco noted.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, surely Weasley and Granger noticed you were gone, yet they didn't think to look for you here – or so it seems."

"They'll be at lunch now", Harry pointed out.

"Sitting at the Slytherin table again?" Draco asked

"Haven't I been doing that all week?" Harry countered, reaching out to grip Draco's hand with his own. Draco moved a little closer as they walked through the school to the Great Hall.

"Granger and Weasley are probably planning something – in fact, we know they're planning something, and we only have Apparation with them", Draco stated.

"I know, but until they make a move there's nothing I can do", Harry responded. "My things are protected, so they won't go through them, and I hardly see them anyway – they're too busy focussing in Apparation to speak to me, and Hermione can't do much while we're in Potions, right?"

"She might keep trying, but she's already gotten a detention from Snape", Draco pointed out.

"Yeah, for not leaving me alone yesterday in class...actually, wasn't her detention this morning?" Harry asked.

"It might have been", Draco replied thoughtfully, as they reached the Great Hall. Lunch had only just started, and as it was Saturday people would just wander in and out between 12 and 2 for lunch. Harry and Draco sat around halfway down the Slytherin table and helped themselves to some food, eating in amiable silence.

"I wonder where Pansy, Theo and Blaise are", Harry wondered, as he and Draco finished their meals.

"Probably sleeping in as late as possible, at least in Blaise and Theo's case – I accidentally woke them up this morning and got pillows thrown at my head. They'll probably wander in towards the end of lunch and grab some sandwiches right before the house elves clear everything away."

"Well, some people are here", Harry said. Draco followed his line of sight to the doorway, where Ron and Hermione had just entered – and were heading in their direction.

"Are you finished eating?" Draco asked.

"You don't want to run away do you?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Of course not, just asking."

"Oh – yeah, I'm done."

"Harry", Hermione said, her anger evident even in that one word.

"Yes?" Harry asked calmly.

"Do you know how much trouble I'm in because of you?" she asked.

"You had a detention, so what?" Harry countered. "Snape may not be the nicest teacher, but he's hardly Umbridge – and you don't seem to be bleeding."

"Of course not – she didn't go", Ron stated.

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, ferret, but she didn't deserve the detention so she didn't bother going", Ron snarled at him.

"Well if you skip your punishment, of course you're going to get it worse", Harry said.

"Don't get me in trouble again", Hermione threatened, before stalking away to the Gryffindor table. Ron glared at them both as well, before following her. Harry and Draco hurried out of the Great Hall and ducked into the nearest bathroom, barely making it before they both dissolved into fits of laughter.

After several minutes, they managed to calm down.

"That was...", Draco trailed off.

"Yeah", Harry agreed, wiping his eyes. "Was that a threat?" he asked.

"I think it was supposed to be – I figured they were going to be overly nice to you, to make you like them more than me."

"Obviously they're going for the other technique – make it seem like I'll lose them if I don't agree with them – but that method requires me to care if they're my friends or not."

"Do you really not care at all?" Draco asked seriously.

"Not if they can't accept that we're together", Harry replied. He sighed before continuing: "As far as they're concerned, the war is over, so the Slytherins are not the bad guys any more, right?"

"We still could be", Draco reasoned.

"Well, then they should at least trust my judgement", Harry said.

"That I won't argue with", Draco agreed. "So, library? Or somewhere else?"

"Do you need the library?"

"No, I have all the notes I need to write the essay, why?"

"How about your common room? I have some things to write, but that can be done anywhere."

"Sure", Draco agreed, the two of them leaving the bathroom and wandering down to the Slytherin common room, still smiling slightly at Hermione's threat – although inwardly both realised that it could eventually become something much more serious.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Harry goes to a political function to get more involved in his Lordly duties!**


	5. Into the Political World

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they all be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

September passed by quickly, and all the students soon got used to being back, although many still were not quite used to the amount of work. Harry had received a message to speak to McGonagall during first period on a Friday morning, when he had a free period, and was currently on his way to the Transfiguration classroom, where she'd asked him to meet her. He knocked and entered the empty classroom, moving through the room to stand in front of the desk at which she was sitting.

"Good morning, Potter", she said.

"Good morning, Professor, is everything okay?"

"Yes, I wanted to speak to you about your activities outside classes."

"Good, I had something I wanted to ask as well."

"Go ahead."

"Well", Harry began. "As I am now 16, I am legally Lord Potter. I checked the school rules, and Lords who are still at school are allowed to leave the school grounds, under certain provisions. I am allowed to leave once a month as long as I return before curfew."

"Yes, that is all correct", McGonagall replied.

"Well, I've been invited to a formal event next Friday night, starting at 6pm – I can Floo there from the school and I will be back in my common room by 9pm – although I am allowed, I still wanted permission, if that's okay?"

"Of course, perhaps go through Professor Snape's office if that is okay with him?" she asked. "He will be checking all students are following curfew that particular night, so he will be in his office until 9pm."

"I'll check with him after Potions this afternoon", Harry replied.

"Now then, I wanted to speak to you regarding the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as Quidditch will be starting up again soon...are you interested in the position?"

"Sorry, but as I now hold a Lordship I'm really busy, I'm using all my free time around classes and homework to learn how to be a Lord, I don't think I'd have the time which the team deserves...how about Ron though? I know he's only been on the team for a year, but he got into it by the end, and it might help his confidence on the pitch if he's the captain."

"That's not a bad suggestion, if you're really sure that you don't want it?"

"I'm certain, but thank you for the offer", Harry replied.

"Well then, I'll speak to Weasley later...you're in my class next though, and there's only a few minutes left..."

"I have all my things, if you don't mind me sitting in here? Although, based on the noise in the corridor, everyone else will be here soon anyway." As if on cue, the door opened, and students started trickling in. Harry gave McGonagall a small nod and smile before walking to a seat in the back of the room, saving three seats for Draco, Theo and Blaise. He sat back in his chair, thinking to himself:  _well, that was okay...Dumbledore would have found out about me being a Lord after next Friday night anyway, as Shacklebolt is invited, so even if she tells him now that's not a problem. Snape will be okay about me coming and going through his office, and that also gives me an excuse to ask him for permission next time I want to leave, so no-one has to know that I'm 17 soon...as for Quidditch, that was never going to happen, and by if Ron takes the position then that will keep him busy some of the time and away from me, not to mention the fact that I suggested it will hopefully make him more amiable towards me..._  Harry was interrupted from his thoughts by Draco, Blaise and Theo arriving, just before McGonagall closed the door to start the lesson.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Harry had another free period, which Draco also had, and the two of them were studying in the library. Harry noticed Madam Pince stepping out of the library and scooted forwards in his seat to press one of his legs between Draco's.

"You can't reach me unless I sit forward", Draco muttered.

"I know, but I can still rub my leg against yours suggestively", Harry whispered back.

"Shut up", Draco replied, smiling.

"Madam Pince just stepped out", Harry pointed out.

"If I kiss you, will you let me work?" Draco asked.

"Come on, it's Friday afternoon, we only have one more class – and I bet that's not Potions work you're doing – so can't it wait for now? You have all weekend –"

"Hogsmeade tomorrow", Draco pointed out. "And I have a lot to do on Sunday as well, so I need this time."

"How about one little kiss?" Harry asked, standing up and leaning over the table to aim a pleading look at his boyfriend. Draco relented and pressed his lips against Harry's in a brief, chaste kiss, just as the library door opened. Harry sat back in his seat and looked towards the door, hoping it wasn't Madam Pince – if Draco really did need to work, then he didn't want them kicked out of the library, but he soon realised who it was as Ron came storming over to their table.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, livid.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You kissed!" Ron stated.

"Well, if you know that then why are you asking what it was?" Draco asked.

"Shut up, ferret! Harry, we need to talk, about...this", he said, indicating Draco and Harry's relationship was 'this'. His expression was one of complete disgust, as Harry looked calmly up at him.

"Well, speak quietly then, this is a library after all", Harry said quietly.

"You know, I think Ginny likes you", Ron pointed out, not dropping his voice below his normal volume.

"So?"

"Well, you can end this...thing and get with her – then we can really be brothers and you won't have to deal with kissing that –"

"Be careful what you call my boyfriend, it might not work out well for you", Harry said threateningly, his Sharingan activating for the briefest second. Ron blinked for a moment, before figuring it must have been a trick of the light, as he continued:

"But she can fix you! Make it so you like her, so you like girls!" he almost shouted.

"Is that the problem you have? That I'm gay?" Harry asked.

"You aren't gay – if you were then you would have looked at me while we were showering at the same time, or the others in our dorm, and you didn't so you can't be gay."

"Of course, because I can't just not be attracted to you", Harry commented dryly. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Madam Pince re-entering the library. "Now, if you don't mind, we're trying to work", Harry said quietly, turning back to the books spread out on the desk between himself and Draco.

"I do mind!" Ron shouted.

"Mr Weasley, that volume is completely inappropriate", Madam Pince hissed at him, coming over to their table. "Please leave the library at once."

"You can't do that", Ron said defiantly.

"On the contrary, I can. If you haven't done your work for your next class, then that is your problem. Otherwise, you should have no problem with returning after that class, which is the end of the school day, but if you speak at that volume again then you will be removed again", she stated, pointing to the door. Ron grumbled to himself as he left.

"Thanks, Madam Pince, sorry he was so loud", Harry said quietly.

"Don't worry, just continue working", she said, smiling at him as she bustled away. Harry shot Draco a quick smirk and rubbed his knee against Draco's slightly, before sitting back in his seat and continuing with his own homework, as Draco worked on his own.

* * *

The following Tuesday night, Draco and Harry had just finished training in the Room of Requirement. Draco flopped down onto the couch.

"Tired?" Harry asked, smirking as he sat down beside his boyfriend.

"I wouldn't be if certain people remember that I'm not a shinobi", Draco replied pointedly.

"I know, I just like training with you", Harry shrugged. Draco leaned against him and Harry curled his arm around the blond.

After remaining in their position for a few minutes, Harry broke the silence:

"You know that the political gathering I'm going to is this Friday night, don't you?"

"Yeah, I remember", Draco replied. "Why do you ask?"

"I thought you might help me – thanks to my shinobi powers something happened during the battle with Voldemort...I know what he knew about the Horcruxes."

"So you know what they are? Where they are?"

"Sort of", Harry replied, the hand of the arm around Draco trailing up and down Draco's side. "Like I said, I know what Voldemort knew, and that wasn't everything."

"Well, how much do you know?" Draco asked.

"Quirrel and the diary were destroyed in first and second year, then me last year and Dumbledore got the ring. There are four more – Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, Salazar Slytherin's locket, Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Nagini, Voldemort's snake. The diadem is in a certain room Voldemort opened in here, in the Room of Requirement, but I'm sure it will require some sort of password. The locket is hidden in a particular cave that I'm going to visit after a school holiday – I can leave and return to Konoha, then go to the cave when I come back to the country, so no-one knows. Nagini could be anywhere by now, but I guess she's probably with some still-loyal Death Eaters. As for the cup – it's in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts, which the Ministry confiscated."

"You know quite a lot then", Draco commented. "But what can I help with?"

"All of it?" Harry suggested. "I am going to make certain suggestions to the Minister that the war isn't over yet, and I was wondering how best to do that, as well as to hint that there is a Horcrux among the estates confiscated by the Ministry."

"Try suggesting that there are things Dumbledore has been keeping from him", Draco offered. "Build up a political alliance with the Minister – make sure he trusts you aren't one of Dumbledore's men – then simply tell him the truth once he trusts you enough to believe you."

"That's what I was thinking, but thanks anyway", Harry said, kissing the top of Draco's head. The blond leaned up for a proper kiss, and Harry happily obliged him.

"So, what about this room in here then?" Draco asked.

"Even Voldemort isn't arrogant enough to believe that no-one might find the room, so it probably requires some sort of password or something – what do you think?"

"We'd need to know more about how the Room works", Draco mused. "And if there is a password, it's probably in parseltongue...the only real way I can think of is to stand outside, saying all possible passwords he's likely to have used."

"In parseltongue?" Harry asked. Draco nodded:

"Yeah, but it's not like you can stay hidden for long enough to go through all of them, even with the Cloak, unless you make a list and then go and come back at different times."

"Yeah, a list", Harry responded, not really paying attention as his thoughts wandered to a possible plan.

"Are you going back to your dorm tonight?" Draco asked, changing the subject to bring Harry's focus back to their conversation.

"What? Oh, sorry, just thinking – er, yeah, I was going to – I figure it's best to stay there this week, as I'll be out on Friday evening and I'll probably come here afterwards to meet you – if that's okay?"

"Sure, you have to be back in the castle by 9pm, right?"

"Yeah, I'm coming back via the Floo into Snape's office, then I'll have to go up to my common room – but I'll just make it look like I've gone straight to bed and sneak here to see you later that night."

"I'll make sure I'm here", Draco said, kissing Harry before the pair of them stood to leave.

Harry walked Draco back to the Slytherin common room before making his way back through the school and to his own common room. It was after midnight, and everyone in his dorm was already asleep, which Harry noted as he closed the curtains behind his bed, sealing and silencing them with well-practised spells. He opened the trunk at the foot of his bed, easily catching the kunai which flew out, a precaution he had placed to protect his things. As expected, Maia was inside, and she slid out and around his arm.

"Good evening", she said, speaking in Japanese.

"Hi", Harry greeted her, rubbing her head with one finger as he slipped into Japanese. "I was hoping you'd do something for me."

"Something more than guard your things?" she asked.

"That was your idea", Harry reminded her. She looked at him for a moment before biting into his shoulder, removing her fangs before any poison could seep into the wound. Harry merely rolled his eyes. "You always bite when you're annoyed, do you know that?" he asked her.

"Yes, but I don't poison the person – unless they really annoy me", she replied.

"Anyway", Harry said, rubbing the bite mark slightly. "I told you about Voldemort's Horcruxes, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did."

"Well, one of them is hidden within a secret room in this school. The room becomes whatever you require, but I expect it has an additional password for this particular room."

"What can I do?" Maia asked curiously.

"Voldemort has a power – the same one I have actually – he can speak parseltongue, snake language."

"I think you told me – it's somewhat like a kekkei genkai, and you got it when you became his Horcrux, but you retain the ability even without being a Horcrux."

"Right, well the password is probably a word in parseltongue, but there are so many options...if I show you the room, I was hoping you could find somewhere to hide nearby and try out various passwords – I've told you enough about Voldemort that you should be able to think of something – and then tell me if a door appears for any of them."

"I can do that", she agreed. "But why can you not do it yourself?"

"It could take a while, and I'm not sure I have enough of an ability with genjutsu to keep myself hidden for long enough, whereas you can probably hide yourself against a wall and you'll know if someone is coming."

"When will the area be mostly quiet?"

"Pretty much every night", Harry replied. "But then, the corridor isn't used that much in the daytime either, so..."

"I can hide myself under your robes and you can walk past the room and pause to let me get off?" Maia suggested.

"That sounds good...the Arithmancy classroom is on the same floor, and I have Arithmancy first thing on Thursday morning, so if you come with me then I can leave you there, then I can pick you up after the lesson – which is two hours long – as I have a free period then before lunch. Is that okay?"

"That's fine", Maia agreed, sliding back down Harry's arm and returning to the trunk, where she was using some of Harry's clothes as a bed. Harry rolled his eyes at her actions before returning the kunai to the trunk, resetting his traps and closing the trunk lid before going to bed for the night.

* * *

On Friday night, Harry found himself standing outside a large mansion house. It was the place where the political gathering was being held, and as this was his first foray into the political world of wizarding Britain he was understandably nervous. He took a deep breath before entering and taking a long look around. The gathering was being held in a large open room to the right of the main entrance, and Harry could see that there were many people already there, even though the event was to start at 6.30 and it was only just before 7 now.  _So much for being fashionably late,_ Harry joked to himself, before walking into the room. He took another look around at the various men and women, their aristocratic nature obvious in their dress and manners. He wondered how best to make his presence known, but before he could decide on anything, Fudge came over to him.

"Ah, Lord Potter, I see you made it."

"Good evening, Minister", Harry said, giving him a small bow.

"I suppose I should call you Lord Black as well, as that was how you addressed yourself in your first letter to me."

"That was mainly as I did not believe you would read a letter from someone like me", Harry replied polite you.

"I suppose you are referring to Dumbledore?" the Minister said. "Well, this isn't really the time or place for political arguments, now is it?"

"Well, actually –"

"Good evening Minister Fudge", Shacklebolt said, interrupting Harry as he joined them. "Ah, Harry, may I have a word?"

"Yes, although I'd prefer you not speak so informally with me", Harry replied. He gave another bow to the Minister and excused himself, noting that Shacklebolt made no signs of resptect for Fudge as he led Harry over to near the buffet table.

"Now then, about the endorsement I asked you for...it is now the beginning of October –"

"Strangely enough, I am aware of the date. This is my first entrance into the political world, and I'd like to know more before I agree to endorse you – I'm not stupid, and I know an endorsement from me would likely secure your victory, and with all due respect, I don't know you well enough to know whether or not I want you to win."

"Surely anyone would be better than Fudge after the events of last year?" Shacklebolt asked in surprise.

"Not anyone, after all a Death Eater wouldn't be better, would it?"

"I'm not –"

"I'm not accusing you, I just meant that your statement that anyone would be better was flawed. And, as I said, I need more time."

"I understand that you are ignorant about politics, but the election is at the end of December –"

"So really I have as much as two months, even two and a half, before I actually need to publicly endorse a candidate?" Harry asked.

"Well, technically..."

"Then I will make sure you have my answer by early to mid December", Harry stated. "And, if you want me to actually endorse you, you should perhaps start by not calling me ignorant and telling me what your platform is – why people should vote for you – unless your entire campaign rests on Fudge's supposed idiocy."

Harry left Shacklebolt staring after him as he walked away, walking down past the food to get a drink. As he sat at the bar and waited for the server to finish with another person, he sighed to himself.

"Problems?" a voice asked from beside him.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to –"

"Don't worry about it", the man replied. "I only really come to these events every now and again anyway, but when I heard that you would be here..."

"So I suppose I don't need to introduce myself?"

"I don't believe you ever would, but I should...My name is Horace Slughorn."

"It's nice to meet you", Harry said politely, shaking the man's hand.

"I suppose you hear this all the time, but you really do look so much like your father."

"Yes I do", Harry responded with a smile. "Did you know him?"

"I taught at Hogwarts for some years...Potions was my subject, although he didn't really have much aptitude for it."

"No, I suppose he didn't", Harry mused. "If you don't mind me asking, how long did you teach there for?"

"Oh, some time, more than sixty years in fact, and I've been retired now for fifteen years."

"I see", Harry said thoughtfully.  _That means he was there before Dumbledore was Headmaster...and when Voldemort was a student,_  Harry added to himself.

Their conversation was interrupted as the server took Harry's drink order and handed him a glass of wine. Harry left Slughorn at the bar, as the man seemed intent on getting drunk despite the still early hour, and walked back into the room, sipping at his wine. He was glad he had gotten advice from Draco about how to mingle, and surveyed the room for people he may recognise, particularly any parents of Hogwarts students. He noticed a few people on one side of the room, two men and a woman, who he seemed to recognise, and joined them:

"Good evening", Harry said.

"Lord Potter, is it good to see you at an event like this", one of the men said. "My name is Lord Macmillan, and this is Lord MacDougal, I believe our sons are in your year."

"Yes, I think so, but not in my House, so I don't know them too well", Harry replied.

"In that case, you definitely won't know my son, he is a few years below you as well as in a different House", the woman said. "His name is Sullivan Fawley."

"I'm afraid not", Harry apologised.

"Or my daughter, who graduated last year", she said. "Although, if you are ever thinking of a political marital match..."

"I apologise, but I am taken, and he and I are very happy together", Harry stated.

"Oh well, it is still nice to meet you", Lady Fawley continued. The two Lords shared her sentiment and they all shook Harry's hand.

"We were just discussing the upcoming elections, Shacklebolt vs Fudge it would seem", Lady Fawley said.

"It does seem to be turning into a bit of a match", Lord Macmillan agreed.

"Who do you support?" Harry asked inquisitively.

"Personally, I believe Fudge has seen the country through good years, and is only being pushed out now due to one mistake which he may in fact have been tricked into", Lord Macmillan replied.

"I agree", Harry said. "And it may not have even been a trick – it would hardly have been sensible to announce that Voldemort was alive but not where, that would only cause panic." The other three nodded their agreement, but before any of them could speak again, the Minister approached:

"Lord Potter, may I have a word with you? In private, if you don't mind?"

"Of course, Minister", Harry said. "Please excuse me", he said, bowing slightly to his three companions before following the Minister outside the room, to a small balcony overlooking the garden.

"I couldn't help but overhear you in there Lord Potter –"

"Please, call me Harry", he interrupted.

"Thank you, Harry, but with regards to what you were saying..."

"I'm sure that you realised that Shacklebolt practically pounced on me for a reason?" Harry asked. Fudge nodded, so Harry continued: "He wants me to endorse him, but I haven't yet accepted. I'm not stupid, and I know how much political clout my name has, even among the general wizarding population – I did take down Voldemort, after all – so I know that whomever I choose to support will almost certainly win."

"And?" Fudge prompted.

"With all due respect, I know that what I said earlier was incorrect, you weren't just trying to prevent panic, you really didn't believe Voldemort was back – although, you did have people convincing you of that, like Lucius Malfoy... furthermore, I entirely understand why you would distrust Dumbledore."

"You do?" Fudge asked in surprise.

"I don't trust him either, and I think you were correct about his political desires...the second that Voldemort's return is accepted he is given back his political power in the Wizengamot...and as soon as a re-election is announced, the rival candidate is a high-up member of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Shacklebolt? I never knew –"

"No disrespect intended, but that was the point, Dumbledore needed people inside the Ministry so that he knew what was going on."

"And now he's set up a candidate for the Ministerial position", Fudge stated.

"I don't know that much about Shacklebolt, but if he's loyal to Dumbledore he may very well be only a front-man – Dumbledore may as well be the Minister f Shacklebolt wins. That is why I'm going to endorse you, sir."

"You are?" Fudge asked incredulously.

"Please don't misunderstand, there are different reasons – part of the reason is merely that I don't want Dumbledore to be even more powerful, but I also believe that you are a good Minister, and your mistakes are mostly due to poor choices in advisors."

"Which is my own fault", Fudge said. Harry made to speak, but Fudge lifted up a hand to silence him. "Don't worry, I know you aren't intending to insult me, but I am correct, it is my own fault. How about this – you endorse me, and you also become one of my advisors should I win?"

"As much as I would like to accept, I'm still in school, and I have other...responsibilities."

"You wouldn't have to be there all the time, merely for important political functions, and I appreciate that you are still at Hogwarts – much of our correspondence can be done by post, if that helps?"

"It does, thank you sir", Harry replied. "Are you sure I'm the best choice in an advisor though?"

"You may be young and inexperienced, but you see things in a way that I can only describe as Slytherin, if that isn't an insult to you."

"It isn't, in fact I take it as a compliment that someone other than my boyfriend notices that side of me", Harry responded.

"Boyfriend, hmm? You should have brought him along this evening", the Minister said lightly.

"I couldn't, he is a student and he can't leave – at least not yet."

" 'Not yet'?" Fudge repeated.

"My boyfriend is Draco Malfoy, his estate is currently frozen – he can't leave the school until it is restored to him, at which point he can take on the title his father left him."

"I see...perhaps I can do something to hurry the process along? After all, I do owe you something for your offer of endorsement."

"We would be very grateful for that, Minister", Harry replied. "But, as for my endorsement, I would like to keep that quiet for now – when would be the latest time to make it publicly known?"

"The beginning of December, as that would still give voters enough time to think about it", Fudge stated.

"I told Shacklebolt he would have my answer in early to mid December – publicly endorsing his opponent will just have to suffice as my answer", Harry said, smirking. The Minister smiled and extended his hand.

"I believe we have a deal then? You endorse me and I will see what I can do to restore Mr Malfoy's estate, and you also continue to advise me after my re-election to ensure that I make no mistakes like before."

"That sounds good to me", Harry agreed, shaking the Minister's hand firmly. "I guess we should go back inside?"

"Yes", the Minister nodded, and they both returned inside. Harry glanced at the clock and noticed the time, realising he had to be back at school soon, so he made his way over to the person he recognised as Lord Greengrass, the host of the event.

Harry easily explained that he needed to leave early, and Lord Greengrass offered him the use of his Floo to return to school, before leading him through the entranceway into the main living room of the mansion.

"Well, you certainly made an impression here tonight", he commented, as Harry took a handful of Floo powder.

"That was the point, Lord Greengrass", Harry stated. The other man nodded his agreement, and Harry tossed the Floo powder to his feet:

"Severus Snape's office, Hogwarts", he stated firmly. There was a flash of green around him, and Harry stepped out of the fireplace in Snape's office, brushing a small amount of soot from his robes.

"Good evening, Mr Potter", Snape greeted him.

"Good evening Professor, I hope I'm not too late."

"No, it is 8.45pm, you have fifteen minutes to return upstairs. I trust you had a fruitful evening."

"I did actually...while I'm here, there was something I needed to speak to you about in private...I don't have time now, obviously, but when would be best to talk to you?"

"I believe Sunday would be best, the morning if possible – most people will remain in bed late, but I will be in here early as a potion I am working on will require me in here at 6.30am."

"I won't be in that early, but I will come in the morning. Thanks, Professor, and thanks for letting me use your Floo", Harry said, leaving the office and returning through the school to his dorm. He managed to slip through the common room without anyone really noticing him, and went up to his dorm, sealing himself behind the curtains around his bed.

He changed from his robes into his normal clothes, Maia slithering out of his trunk when he opened it to get some clothes out. After Harry had changed and reset the kunai traps on his trunk, she wound her way around his arm while he settled on the bed to read for a little while.

Over the next couple of hours, the rest of the boys in the dorm wandered in to go to bed, and Harry continued reading as they all fell asleep. Once the dorm was completely quiet, around 11pm, Harry whispered to Maia to return to the trunk and that he was going to meet Draco. She did as he asked, and Harry slipped into his shoes, obscuring his presence with genjutsu as he moved through the school to the Room of Requirement, where Draco was already waiting for him, sat on the couch in their usual room.

"How did it go?"

"Long", Harry replied, flopping down onto the bed. Draco moved over to lie beside him.

"Did you get everything done which you wanted to do?"

"I think so", Harry said, pulling Draco into his arms.

"If you didn't want to talk about it, why did you want to meet me here right afterwards?" Draco asked.

"Technically, I've been back a couple of hours", Harry responded, nuzzling into the crook of Draco's neck.

"That still doesn't tell me why...oh", Draco said, realising what Harry wanted as the dark-haired male switched from nuzzling Draco's neck to kissing it.

"You get why now?" Harry asked in a whisper, rolling on top of Draco and pressing his whole body against his boyfriend's.

"Yeah, I think I get it", Draco replied quietly, reaching round to grip Harry's ass and pull Harry closer to him. He kissed Harry before rolling them over so that he was on top, nudging Harry's legs apart and pressing one of his own legs between it, rubbing his leg against Harry's growing erection. Draco moved his hands to unbutton Harry's shirt, running his fingers across the exposed flesh. Harry shivered in response, reaching up to pull Draco's shirt off over his head, tossing it across the room just as Draco did the same with Harry's own shirt. As Draco's hands slipped down to remove both of their trousers, Harry closed his eyes for a moment. He still had problems controlling his dojutsu, but he knew he was okay as he felt his eyes change.

"Harry?" Draco asked, noticing that his boyfriend had closed his eyes.

"Yeah?" Harry replied, opening his eyes to reveal the red and black swirls.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, still knelt between Harry's legs. Harry flipped Draco onto his back and swept his gaze across the entire expanse of skin, copying the sight of the pale body into his brain.

"Remember when you compared the Sharingan to having a photographic memory?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, but...oh, I get it", Draco realised what Harry was doing, and shivered slightly, as if he could feel the image of himself being copied into Harry's mind.

"Mind if I keep it activated?"

"Sure", Draco agreed, reaching up and pulling Harry down into a kiss. He rolled them over so that he was once again kneeling between Harry's legs. "But that doesn't mean you get to be on top this time", he added with a smirk, trailing his fingers up and down Harry's thighs. Harry groaned at Draco's teasing touch.

"Fine, but then you actually have to do more than tease me – fuck!" Harry swore as two of Draco's fingers entered him dry, scissoring and wiggling inside him, before finding his prostate and pressing roughly against it.

"Having fun?" Draco asked, pushing in his other two fingers, so that all four were penetrating Harry's tight hole.

"Fuck yes", Harry groaned. "But it's not your fingers I want", he added, as he reached down to curl his hand around Draco's weeping shaft. Draco pushed his hand away and removed his own from Harry. He gripped his cock, slicking it with some of the precome leaking from the head, and guided it to Harry's hole, pushing himself all the way inside.

"So tight", he groaned, pausing when he was fully seated to give Harry time to adjust. Harry didn't want to wait, however, and bucked his hips, encouraging Draco to move while his Sharingan eyes copied every move and thrust, every facial expression on Draco's face as he fucked Harry senseless.

"More, Draco, go faster, you know I can take it", Harry groaned encouragingly. Draco sped up his thrusts, gripping Harry's legs and moving them up onto his shoulders to allow himself to thrust deeper. Harry moaned as his prostate was repeatedly assaulted by the head of Draco's weeping shaft. He pulled his legs from Draco's hands and wound them around the blond's waist, tugging Draco's upper body forwards and craning his head up so that he could kiss Draco. Their mouths mimicked their bodies, as Draco's tongue thrust inside Harry's mouth as his cock thrust inside Harry's hole, his thrusts speeding up as they both reached their peaks.

"Close", Draco gasped in warning, pulling back from the kiss to lean his forehead against Harry's.

"Me too", Harry agreed, adding a groan as Draco's hand wrapped around Harry's cock, tugging it erratically. Harry moaned loudly as Draco's actions pulled his orgasm from him, and he came hard across Draco's hand and their stomachs. Draco moaned as well, as Harry's spasming hole drew his own orgasm from him, and he filled Harry with his own come, thrusting weakly for several moments as he rode out his orgasm. He pulled out and fell onto the bed beside Harry, noticing the red and black eyes fade back into blue.

"So you basically recorded that into your mind then?" Draco asked. "Like homemade porn?"

"Pretty much, and I can watch it whenever I want, like in class when I'm bored..." he trailed off, pulling Draco against him.

"In class?" Draco asked. "You wouldn't."

"Try me", Harry replied with a smirk, cuddling Draco's naked body against him.

"Harry, we're dirty and sweaty and covered in –"

"Don't care, too tired, wash in morning", Harry mumbled into blond hair. Draco considered arguing, but he was tired as well, and when Harry drew the covers up and over him, he fell into sleep almost immediately, cuddled safely in his boyfriend's arms.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Harry works on getting Snape on his side and Harry and Naruto both celebrate their birthdays with their boyfriends!**


	6. Two Birthdays

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they all be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

The following morning, Harry woke up in the Room of Requirement, alone in his and Draco's bed. He yawned and stretched, before casting a Tempus spell with which he determined that it was almost lunchtime. He looked around the room, noting that his and Draco's clothes were still tossed haphazardly around the room, or at least most of them were. As he sat up in bed, he noticed a door in the wall which he didn't remember being part of his and Draco's room before. Before he could get up to investigate, the door opened, and Draco came through, wearing only Harry's shirt and carrying a tray of food.

"Morning sleepy", he said to Harry.

"Morning. What's that door lead to?" Harry asked.

"Thought up a kitchen and made us some lunch", Draco replied, setting the tray down on the bed. Harry crossed his legs under the covers and Draco sat on the bed, cross-legged as well, the tray between them.

"Breakfast in bed, hmm? What'd I do to deserve that?"

"Firstly, it's lunch. Secondly...Harry, what's the date?"

"Er – October 5th, right? Oh, wait..."

"Happy birthday", Draco said, leaning over the tray to kiss his boyfriend. He pulled back before Harry could deepen the kiss.

"Hmm...so, lunch?" Harry said, as if only just noticing the tray of food.

"Yeah, well it's almost noon, but I figured that we could stay in here – then you can have a good birthday, and today is a Saturday after all..."

"What about homework?"

"You have the Sharingan, and I have almost finished all of mine, we can easily do it tomorrow. Today though..." Draco trailed off, motioning to the tray. There was coffee and juice, as well as toast, bacon, eggs and sausages.

"I know you said lunch, but this still looks like breakfast", Harry teased.

"Well, if you don't want it..." Draco said, reaching for the tray.

"No, I want it!" Harry near-shouted, grabbing Draco's hand.

"I know, I was only joking", Draco replied, smiling as he began to eat. Harry smiled as well, and the two of them stopped talking for a while to eat their lunch.

The two of them ate in amiable silence. When they were done, Harry slumped backwards onto the pillows behind him.

"Can you cook for me every day?" he asked.

"If I did that then your birthday wouldn't be special", Draco replied, moving the tray onto the bedside table.

"I'd be okay with that", Harry stated, pulling Draco back into the bed and cuddling him.

"I should clean up the lunch stuff..."

"Later", Harry mumbled into Draco's shoulder. "Want to cuddle...didn't get to wake up with you in my arms after all."

"Okay, but not for long, you may like my cooking but I'm not exactly that good – we had house elves for everything – so I sort of made quite a mess in the kitchen."

"Sleepy again, ate too much", Harry said, still whispering sleepily into Draco's shoulder. "Wait 'til I fall back as'eep?"

"Fine", Draco relented, rolling over so that Harry could cuddle him properly. Harry slipped back into sleep, a smile on his lips.

He awoke again some time later, alone in the bed again. However, the noises he could hear in the kitchen indicated where Draco was, and also made Harry assume that Draco had decided to clean up the lunch things. He sat up in bed, then noticed the wrapped boxes at the foot of the bed. He reached down and pulled them up towards himself, examining them closely, as if he could tell their contents from the outside. One box was small, long and rectangular. Another was fairly large, and when Harry lifted it slightly he was sure that it contained books of some sort. The third was around the same size, but the contents didn't seem to be books. Harry was wary about shaking it, in case it was breakable, but at the same time he was curious. The door swung open and Harry felt the bed dip beside him.

"Happy birthday", Draco whispered, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist.

"You know, it's the middle of the afternoon, and I'm still naked and you're only wearing my shirt from last night", Harry noted.

"What's your point?"

"Don't know."

"Do you want me to get dressed? I will if you want", Draco said.

"No", Harry replied, gripping Draco's arms and keeping them wrapped around his waist. "Just wondering if all my birthdays will be this lazy from now on."

"You deserve it...besides, think about it, you're seventeen...legally an adult in the wizarding world..."

"So I get to do adult things?" Harry asked.

"Stop being lewd, besides that's legal at sixteen and you know it – or do you want to be breaking the rules by being with me?", Draco asked coyly, moving away from Harry slightly. "Anyway, are you going to open them or just look at them?"

"Which one first?"

"Doesn't matter, but you should probably do that one last", Draco replied, indicating the large box which Harry had just been musing over.

"Well, I'm fairly certain this one contains books..." Harry pulled off the wrapping paper eagerly and opened the box. As he had thought, the box contained books, and he spent a moment browsing the titles of the several books in the box. They were all on advanced combat skills, combining magic with physical combat. Some were in Japanese and some in English. There was also a book written in parseltongue in there.

"I figured, rather than keep your shinobi and wizarding abilities separate, it might be good to combine them. I don't know about the books in Japanese or the one in parseltongue, but I had a look at the English ones to see what sort of things they taught – it looks quite good, mostly on doing wandless spells to aid in your fighting. I don't know how useful they'll be –" Harry cut Draco off with a kiss.

"They'll be useful, I know they will, thank you." Draco blushed slightly in response, urging Harry to open the small box. Harry picked it up, looking at it for a while, before he pulled open the string.

"Why so gentle with this one?"

"Don't know, just feel like I should be", Harry replied, pulling the paper open slowly and picking up the box. It was dark green, so dark it almost looked black, and seemed to be made of leather. Harry opened it. Inside was a quill, the same dark green colour as the box. It looked expensive and Harry picked it up, turning it over in his hands.

"I figured you might want a good one, a nice one, for signing things to do with your Lord duties."

"Yeah", Harry breathed out. "What bird is it from?"

"I'm honestly not sure, I don't think a British one though, why?"

"Didn't know there were birds this colour", Harry replied, gently setting the quill back in the box. Draco stood up as Harry pulled the last box towards himself, lifting the box of books off the bed and putting the quill on top. Harry looked questioningly at him.

"Just open the box", Draco muttered, blushing. Harry briefly wondered why his boyfriend was turning so red, but he did as Draco had said, pulling the paper off the last box and opening it. He peered inside, then a smirk stretched across his face, as he realised why Draco was so red.

"Draco..."

"I'm not sure I like that look on your face", Draco said worriedly.

"Why? You must know what you got my...what did you think I'd want when I saw this?"

"Well, I figured you'd want to use it, that's why I told you to open it last."

"You were right", Harry replied, grabbing Draco and pulling him back onto the bed. He ripped Draco's shirt off, buttons clattering across the floor as he tossed the fabric away from the bed somewhere.

"Harry! Buttons!"

"It's my shirt and I don't care", Harry stated firmly, attaching his mouth to one of Draco's nipples to prevent any further arguments.

Harry sucked on each of Draco's nipples in turn, one hand fondling Draco's hardening cock, before he sat up, kneeling between the blond's legs. He looked down at Draco, flushed and panting, before smirking again, and looking back into the box. He grabbed a few things before setting the box on the floor beside the bed and flipping Draco onto his front. He made sure Draco couldn't see what he had grabbed, and all the blond heard was the sound of packaging being opened.

"Harry, what –"

"You gave me a box of sex stuff, Draco, what did you think was going to happen?"

"I knew you'd want sex, but what are you doing? I mean, you know...what are you using?"

"I think I should test your bodily instincts...so, you can tell me what I'm using. As I use it on you."

"But – ooohhh." Draco's argument turned into a groan, as cool liquid dripped over his ass, slipping between the cheeks. Harry's tongue followed it, swirling in the thick liquid and licking at Draco's exposed hole, while the blond could only groan and grip at the bed sheets. He briefly wondered if he should have hidden the flavoured lubes inside something in the box, as he knew Harry could torture him using them for ages, but his thoughts trailed off as a warm tongue entered him, flicking around inside him. Draco fisted the sheets, fighting the urge to buck back against his boyfriend's invading tongue.

"Want more?" Harry asked breathily, pulling back.

"Yes, anything, just don't stop!" Draco groaned, pushing his hips back. Harry placed one hand on the small of Draco's back, pushing him back down onto the bed. He slicked up his fingers with more of the apple-flavoured lube, then pushed two inside Draco, scissoring them to stretch open the wet hole.

"I love how tight you are, even when you've had my tongue in you, and now my fingers", Harry said. He pushed his fingers in deeper, brushing over Draco's prostate teasingly, pulling back before Draco got any real pleasure from the brief action.

"Harry, please, stop teasing", Draco whined, as a third finger was added, the fingers still teasingly stroking his insides.

"Okay", Harry replied. Draco could hear the smirk in Harry's voice as the fingers were withdrawn, and something larger entered him. Draco sighed in relief, only for his sigh to turn to one of frustration, as the new penetration still only teasingly stroked his insides, before stopping moving. Draco heard a slight click, then realised with a start that Harry was using a vibrator, as the vibrations inside him massaged his inner walls.

"Harry, I wanted – ah! – you inside", Draco groaned.

"I know, that's why I did this", Harry replied. He flipped Draco over and pulled him into a sitting position on the bed, the vibrator being held deep inside Draco by his sitting position. He straddled Draco, grinding down against Draco's hardness.

"Harry, please", Draco begged.

"Want to be inside me?" Harry asked breathily, speaking into Draco's ear. He wound his arms around Draco's neck and placed his forehead against the blond's. "Do you want me to ride you with that vibrator deep inside you?"

"I don't care, I just need relief", Draco begged again. Harry smirked, reaching for the last item he had taken out of the box. He put his head on Draco's shoulder, hands moving to open the packaging of the item behind Draco's back, distracting Draco by continuing to tease him:

"I fingered myself you know, while I was doing the same to you. Used the lube as well...apple-flavoured."

"Harry, please", Draco groaned. Harry pushed himself backwards so he was no longer straddling Draco, and reached down to slowly jerk Draco's cock. Draco's eyes slipped closed in pleasure, before he felt his cock restricted. He looked down as Harry tightened the ring, preventing Draco's release.

"Enjoying yourself?" Harry asked.

"You...Slytherin!"

"I thought you liked that side of me", Harry teased, straddling Draco again and pushing the blond down so that he was lying on the bed. Draco groaned as the vibrator brushed against his prostate.

"Just admit it, you're evil really", Draco said, looking up at where Harry was still straddling him.

"Fine, I'm evil", Harry smirked. He grasped Draco's cock, holding it upright as he sank down onto it, impaling himself on the hardness. They both groaned as Harry's tightness encased Draco's cock. Harry shifted on Draco's lap, getting used to the feeling before setting a brutal pace, bouncing harshly up and down on Draco's cock, his own slapping against his stomach as he moved. With every bounce, Draco felt the tight heat surround his cock, and as the bed moved beneath him, every bounce also caused the vibrator to knock against his prostate. He reached for Harry's hips, gripping them firmly as he moaned at the dual stimulation he was getting.

"Harry, please", he gasped out. "I need...so close...please, let me..." Harry merely smirked wider and bounced faster and harder. Draco lifted a shaking hand, the mounting pleasure causing his whole body to shake, and gripped Harry's cock, jerking it roughly and erratically. Harry groaned, but didn't move Draco's hand away, instead leaning forwards slightly, placing his hands on Draco's chest to give himself more leverage.

"Fuck, Draco, gonna –" Harry didn't even have time to finish his warning before he came violently, screaming Draco's name out. Draco, who was still being prevented from his own release, could only groan in frustration, as Harry continued bouncing slowly, riding out the waves of his orgasm. Draco released Harry's cock and Harry climbed off Draco, the blond's still hard cock slipping from his abused hole. He slid down Draco's body, twisting the vibrator to frustrate Draco even further, before removing it, switching it off, and tossing it to the foot of the bed. He mouthed the head of Draco's cock, sucking slowly, leading Draco to fist the sheets so hard that he tore holes in them. Harry smirked around Draco cock, swallowing it whole and pulling off the ring in one motion. Draco came without warning, shooting his hot seed down Harry's throat. Harry swallowed it all eagerly, while Draco thrashed and moaned Harry's name repeatedly, like a mantra, as he emptied himself down Harry's throat.

When Draco was done, Harry released his cock with a pop, sliding back up the bed to rest his head on Draco's shoulder. It took a while for Draco to come back around after the aftershocks of such a powerful orgasm had subsided. As he did regain his bearings, he realised Harry had fallen back asleep on his shoulder.

"How is it you can sleep so little any other day but today all you seem to want to do is fall asleep over and over again?" he asked his sleeping boyfriend. He slowly moved away, replacing his shoulder with a pillow, which Harry automatically snuggled close to, and went into the bathroom, his legs still shaking slightly. He turned on the taps around the bath, filling it up, which took a while as it was so large. Once the bath was ready, he went back to the bed, waking Harry up.

"What?" Harry asked sleepily.

"Ran a bath for us – wanna join me?"

"Would I rather lie in a bed on my own or soak in warm water with my naked boyfriend...hmm, difficult choice."

"Well, if you don't want to, then I guess I'll bathe alone", Draco said, returning to the bathroom. Harry smiled slightly and yawned, as he followed his boyfriend into the bathroom.

Later that evening, as Harry and Draco lay in their bed, Harry leaned into the blond.

"Thanks, I don't think I've had a better birthday."

"No problem, although I still don't get why you like my cooking so much, I mean dinner –"

"Was fine, and I'd rather you cooked it and it got a little burnt than got someone else to cook it", Harry pointed out.

"I guess. I promise I'll learn how to cook better by your next birthday."

"I told you, I don't mind. Besides, what about your birthday? We didn't even celebrate it last year."

"That's because I avoided telling you when it was...it's always in the exam period, so we're stressed and everything. Last year it was on the day of the Defence practical, so..."

"Well, we have less exams this year, and a longer exam period...we'll find a way to do something."

"Harry –"

"Hold on", Harry interrupted, doing some calculating. "Your next birthday is on a Thursday. With any luck we won't have an exam the following day, and we can go out on your birthday. If we do have an exam on the Friday, then we'll just celebrate your birthday on the Friday night and onto the Saturday."

"You don't have to –"

"We're going to", Harry stated firmly.

"Wait – you said we'd go out, we can't, I mean, I can't leave the school."

"I'll find a way", Harry said.

"Harry –"

"Draco...I'll find a way." Draco realised there was no point arguing, so instead settled for cuddling Harry close.

"Happy birthday", he said, as he drifted off to sleep.

"Thanks", Harry replied. There was silence for a moment, but just before Draco fell asleep, he heard Harry ask himself: "Now then, what should I use from that box next time?"

* * *

The following day, Harry went to see Snape, early in the morning as the Potions professor had told him on Friday night. He knocked on the door of Snape's office and entered.

"Good morning, Professor", he greeted him.

"One moment please, Mr Potter", Snape replied from a cauldron. He was in the middle of a certain stage of the potion he was working on, and finished what he was doing, making some notes on a pad beside the cauldron before crossing the room to sit at his desk. He motioned to Harry to sit opposite him.

"Sorry, I would have come earlier, but I was...indisposed."

"With Mr Malfoy, I presume?" Snape asked. "Regardless, what is it that you wished to speak to me about?"

"Since I turned sixteen, I have been legally Lord Potter, with full access to my accounts – not that I knew it at the time – anyway, I inherited a vault full of rare potions and ingredients, which I have little use for. I was wondering if there was anything you would like from it", Harry said, handing Snape a list of the contents of the particular vault he mentioned. Snape perused the list for a few moments.

"I find it hard to believe that the Potter family ever had some of these items, some of them are in fact highly illegal and controlled substances."

"Yes, but Sirius is dead."

"You are Lord Black also?" Snape assumed. Harry did not respond, merely looking at Snape for a moment. "I see. Mr Potter, I am not stupid, and I hardly believe you would offer me any items I would choose for no apparent reason."

"You helped me last year, to learn Occlumency and to get an O for my Potions OWL."

"You learnt Occlumency on your own and much of what I did to aid you in Potions was merely to observe you in an environment where others could not adversely affect your potions."

"You offered to teach me Legilimency."

"But I never had the chance to do so."

"Perhaps you would agree to teach me now? Under the guise of additional Potions help?"

"I revealed to Miss Granger that your grade was likely higher than hers."

"Then just teach me and we won't tell anyone anything, they can think what they like", Harry shrugged.

"I am still no fool, and I suppose you agree that I have reason to question this still...There is no point in continuing this, your actions on Friday night – which I have heard about from Kingsley Shacklebolt – make it clear that what you want from me is some form of loyalty, correct?"

"I do not want what I am about to say to leave this room, will you agree to that?" Harry asked seriously. Snape nodded, so Harry continued: "Dumbledore has known the prophecy about me since it was made. Yet he practically forced me into a situation where I would go to the Ministry, endangering the lives of me, my boyfriend, the shinobi, and my...friends. I will still find and destroy the Horcruxes, I will make sure Voldemort can never return, but I will do so without Dumbledore. However, I am not arrogant enough to believe that I am capable of doing these things alone, so I want your loyalty. I know the Order of the Phoenix still exists, and I know Shacklebolt will merely be a front man for Dumbledore, who may find a way to prevent his approaching death...all I want is for you to continue as a spy, just with your loyalty being towards me, and I want you to tell me anything which the Order discusses."

"And if it is of no consequence to you?"

"I am endorsing Fudge", Harry stated. "Most of his idiocies actually arise from pressures placed on him by Death Eaters such as Lucius Malfoy and...people like Umbridge. He has accepted, as long as I advise him, which is what I wanted anyway. Anything the Order discusses will be of consequence to me."

"Are you aware that you have begun speaking very much like a pureblood?" Snape asked.

"A pureblood or a Slytherin?" Harry countered, smirking. "I'm a Lord, and I know how to act like one when debating politics – which is what we're doing, if you think about it."

"Very well, I have no issue with informing you of Dumbledore's plans, and I will also teach you Legilimency."

"What will you tell Dumbledore about the Legilimency lessons?"

"That your Potions grade at OWL appears to have been some sort of one-off incident and I am giving you extra aid in Potions as a result of my debt to your mother."

"One other thing, which more than anything else cannot leave this room", Harry said. Snape looked at him curiously, but nodded his agreement, so Harry continued: "I am a shinobi. I am related through one of my real parents to James, who was the cousin of my parent. My actual birthday is October 5th – so, as of yesterday, I am legally an adult. Please don't feel indebted to Lily Evans, she is not my mother."

"That would explain your eye colour", Snape stated.

"Yes, although no-one appears to have noticed it yet."

"I already agreed that I would not share what you have confided in me, but why did you tell me this?"

"As I am now seventeen, I can leave Hogwarts more often than I could before. Dumbledore may know that James and Lily weren't my parents, but even if he does, he doesn't know who my real parents were, or that I'm a shinobi. I want to cover my extra trips away from school by claiming to be in an extra lesson with you those days."

"Very well."

"I guess I really am ignorant of Potions, you're agreeing to do an awful lot just for what I have in my vault", Harry said, his seriousness being replaced with a more joking tone. Snape smiled at him.

"It isn't just because of that, politics is messy – my mother was Lady Prince, so I know how messy it can get – and I don't exactly agree with everything Dumbledore has done either. In a choice between the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, I chose the lesser of two evils, but with another option presenting itself..."

"Thank you anyway. Now then, Dumbledore has been using my account for years, and he doesn't seem to have realised yet that I am aware of this and have cut him off, or that I'm recalling some of what he did take...until he does know, I can't give you full access to the vault, or he may realise, but I can transfer a few things to you, if that's okay? Just put a mark beside what you want and give me your vault number, and I'll have them transferred straight away, then you can have more once Dumbledore knows."

"Very well", Snape agreed, marking a few items on the sheet of parchment. As he did so, he continued speaking: "I don't suppose you'd know when, would you?"

"I'm making my endorsement of Fudge public knowledge at the start of December. If Dumbledore doesn't know by that point, then he'll find out when he tries to control me using my accounts and finds himself unable to do so. That's only a couple of months then."

"That is all fine", Snape said, handing the parchment back to Harry, who nodded and stood up.

"I'll write to Gringotts and get this sorted out for you. When is the next Order meeting?"

"Dumbledore summons us when he needs us, so I'm afraid I can't tell you, but I expect one soon, particularly given the events of Friday night and your actions in gaining political allies that apparently don't include anyone who supports Dumbledore."

"Alright, just let me know. When can I come to you for lessons?"

"Come on Wednesday night this week. I'll send you an owl during morning post if for some reason I can't make it, that way it will seem like just another letter."

"Okay, thanks", Harry said, nodding goodbye to Snape as he left the office. As he made his way to the library, intending on meeting Draco there to study, he thought to himself:  _Snape is a good ally, I can find out what Dumbledore is planning this way. Also, he mentioned his mother was a Lady...why isn't he a Lord then? He doesn't have any siblings, at least I don't know of any...I'll ask Draco, but if not then perhaps his estate was confiscated when those of other Death Eaters were, or perhaps even before that... If I can get it reinstated, like I'm doing with Draco's, then that will make him even more loyal to me, and also give me political support from other Lords._  As Harry entered the library and made his way over to the table at which Draco was sitting, one final thought crossed his mind before his thoughts turned to homework:  _I wonder where all this political support will lead me?_

* * *

"Morning dobe", Sasuke said, somewhat pleasantly. Naruto shifted further down in the bed, trying to get away from the voice waking him up, but Sasuke didn't let him. He pulled the covers down so that Naruto's head was visible, then repeated the action when Naruto tried to move down the bed and under the covers again.

"Go away, 'm tired", Naruto groaned, burying his face in the pillows. "Never mind", he corrected himself, getting out of bed and storming into the adjacent bathroom. Sasuke heard the sounds of Naruto's morning sickness, which was still affecting him, but as Naruto had locked the door he decided to wait outside. He set the bowl he'd been carrying on the bedside table and straightened out the bed, although this proved futile when Naruto re-entered the bedroom and flopped back down onto the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like crap, and it's your fault", Naruto retorted in annoyance. He sighed: "Sorry, but it's not fun, and Tsunade said it would stop soon, the morning sickness...I just want to be able to keep some food down. Like ramen..." Naruto trailed off, sitting up and sniffing the air.

"You mean like this?" Sasuke asked, handing Naruto the bowl he had set on the bedside table.

"You got me ramen?" Naruto asked, sniffing softly. "Itadakimisu", he said cheerfully, before digging in.

It only took a few minutes for Naruto to eat the entire bowl.

"Feel better?" Sasuke asked, sitting behind Naruto on the bed.

"Yeah", Naruto sighed, placing the empty bowl and used chopsticks back on the table before flopping down to the bed, pulling Sasuke with him. He rolled onto his back with Sasuke beside him, and Sasuke ran his hand down Naruto's body to rub at Naruto's slightly swollen stomach.

"Think you ate too much ramen", Sasuke commented.

"Was that a joke?" Naruto asked in surprise. "Anyway, shut up, I'm not fat, it's your child that's in here."

"I know", Sasuke said, cuddling Naruto closer, still rubbing gently at Naruto's stomach.

"Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?" Naruto mused.

"No idea, when can you find out?"

"Not for a while, and Tsunade said that scans are nearly always wrong anyway...do you mind if we don't know 'til I give birth?"

"I don't care what it is, or they are, as long as it or they are healthy."

" 'They'?! I'm not having twins!" Naruto almost shouted, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"I don't think you get a choice", Sasuke said, sitting up as well.

"But...one...and another one..."

"Yes, that is the definition of twins, one and another one, that is, two."

"Don't joke! I still don't know how we can handle one, let alone two!"

"Naruto, just breathe", Sasuke said calmly, rubbing the small of Naruto's back. "I've told you before, we'll figure it out, and we have the house to ourselves now, lots of room to fill up with children, right?"

"Do you really think I'm ever going through this again?" Naruto asked.

"Maybe, some day...come on, it's not like you didn't want children, right?"

"Yeah, but I never thought I'd have to be the one being pregnant...maybe you can do it next time?"

"Yeah, maybe", Sasuke replied.  _Not a chance,_ he added silently.

"Did you as well?"

"Did I what?"

"Want kids some day?"

"I guess", Sasuke shrugged. "I honestly never gave it much thought, I never thought I could have kids with you, and I wasn't going to have them with anyone else."

"Really?" Naruto asked, turning to look in Sasuke's eyes.

"No, I'm lying to you", Sasuke deadpanned. He considered taking the statement back when he saw Naruto's eyes beginning to water, remembering the blond's mood swings, but before he could say anything warm lips pressed against his own, pushing him back onto the bed as a comfortable weight settled on top of him.

Naruto continued kissing Sasuke for several moments, before pulling back and shifting slightly, settling his head on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Comfortable?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, why, am I too heavy?"

"No, you're perfect", Sasuke replied. Naruto groaned, so Sasuke continued: "What?"

"I really hoped I could keep the ramen down", Naruto responded, pushing himself up off the bed and going into the bathroom. This time he left the door open, so Sasuke followed him in, kneeling down on the floor behind Naruto and rubbing his back soothingly.

Naruto sat back after a few moments, accepting the glass of water Sasuke handed him as he reached up to flush the toilet.

"Maybe it is twins", Naruto commented. "That might explain why I'm still having morning sickness."

"Maybe...but if you think about it, your morning sickness started a couple of weeks later than usual, so perhaps it's just going to carry on for a couple of weeks longer. And like I said, if you don't want to know the sex – or number – of the baby or babies until you give birth, then it's your choice."

"So you don't want to know? Discuss names?"

"We can discuss names without knowing – we just need to make sure we have a few choices, then we can decide when we meet them."

"Okay", Naruto said, snuggling his head into Sasuke's shoulder.

"Naruto – we're still sitting on the bathroom floor."

"I know, but can we just sit like this a moment longer?"

"Fine", Sasuke relented, allowing Naruto to snuggle close to him.

The two of them stayed on the floor for some time, until Sasuke nudged Naruto slightly.

"We should get up off the floor", he pointed out.

"Yeah...hey, don't you have somewhere to be today?" he asked.

"Where else would I be today?" Sasuke asked, standing up and extending his hand to help Naruto up as well.

"I don't know, a mission or training or something? I haven't been in my office for a few days –"

"Dobe", Sasuke sighed. "What's the date?"

"Er – no idea."

"October 10th – happy birthday."

"I didn't even notice", Naruto said, almost whispering. Sasuke hugged him, hoping to prevent any crying from Naruto's ever-present mood swings. This didn't work though, and Naruto instead just started sobbing quietly into Sasuke's shoulder.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked, forcing himself to be patient.

"Nothing, just feel stupid that I forgot", Naruto sniffled.

"Don't worry, other people remembered – you have presents downstairs."

"People brought them here?"

"Well, I checked your apartment as well, but you haven't really been there for several weeks. Why don't you just give in and move in with me?"

"'Cause then people will know."

"Know what?"

"That we're together."

"Naruto, people already know that. Besides, take a look at your stomach – you've been starting to show for a few days now. You can cover it up with your clothes, but only for a few more weeks before it'll be obvious either way."

"I suppose", Naruto sighed.

"Is living with me that bad? You're pretty much doing it already, after all."

"Fine! But I'm not carrying anything here", Naruto said, sticking his tongue out childishly at Sasuke.

"That's okay – because I already brought all of your things here and told your landlord that you were moving out."

"Damn it, teme!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke kissed him, distracting him from even the idea of arguing, pulling Naruto over to the bed.

"You agreed, so what difference does it make?" Sasuke asked.

"You still should have asked me first", Naruto replied against Sasuke's lips. "Anyway – presents?" he continued, jumping backwards and away from Sasuke with a look of childlike glee on his face. Sasuke smiled slightly at his antics, before nodding and replying:

"Downstairs." Naruto bounced happily before running down stairs. Sasuke sighed to himself –  _I really never will get used to these mood swings._

Sasuke took his time upstairs, tidying up the bedroom and taking Naruto's empty ramen bowl downstairs. He could hear the sounds of wrapping paper being torn open and presents examined even from where he was in the kitchen, as he washed up everything he'd used to make Naruto's ramen.

It was a short while later when he went into the living room, carrying a rubbish bag so that he could clear away all the wrapping paper and empty boxes. Naruto was sitting at the table, looking through several bits of paper.

"What's that?" Sasuke asked.

"Ramen vouchers for Ichiraku's...but apparently ramen makes me sick, so..."

"Your morning sickness will stop soon, then you can go, although the vouchers may not be enough now you're eating for two...or three..."

"Stop suggesting twins, you'll make it happen!"

"Naruto, the baby – if it is only one – isn't going to suddenly split in two because I keep suggesting it's twins."

"Yeah, well...stop it anyway", Naruto said, folding his arms.

"Besides, it wasn't Ichiraku's", Sasuke continued, pushing the rubbish down in the bag so he could fit as much in as possible. "I made the ramen for you." He finished picking up the rubbish and leaned on the bag so that he could tie it closed. Sasuke went to walk into the kitchen, but Naruto stopped him, pulling him into a hug. "Er – what's wrong?" Sasuke asked uncertainly.

"Thanks, it was good ramen", Naruto replied, hugging Sasuke tighter. Sasuke released his hold on the bag to wrap his arms around Naruto. "Any chance of more?" Naruto asked.

"Sure, but first come with me."

"Why?"

"Did you not notice that among your massive pile of gifts there was nothing from me?"

"Well, yeah, but I figured you were going to say something like you were my present...although, the chance to do anything I want to you..." Naruto trailed off thoughtfully, releasing Sasuke from the hug. Sasuke shook his head and pulled Naruto into the kitchen, leaving the rubbish bag near the bin as he led Naruto outside.

"You can think about sex later", Sasuke said.

"I – I wasn't – you..."

"Yeah, you were", Sasuke stated. "Anyway, here."

Sasuke had led Naruto round to the side of their house, to a slight alcove in the wall. It was hidden from view from the front and sides of the house and was facing only the forest, making it very much hidden, and even if someone looked around the house they'd have to get very close to the alcove to see it. It was a garden area, with a bench and plenty of plants, along with a box to the side full of gardening stuff.

"I thought you might like somewhere quiet to sit, especially with how much noise there must be in the Hokage Tower", Sasuke said, as Naruto looked around, taking it all in. "And you can take care of it too, it'll give you something to do when you get too big for work, and right after the baby is born."

"Thanks", Naruto whispered.

"No problem...I'll go make you some more ramen, you stay here and do...well, whatever you want." Sasuke returned to the kitchen, leaving Naruto to sit in the small garden he had made for him. As he started cooking the food, Sasuke thought to himself –  _the Elders already seem to have enough of an issue about mine and Naruto's relationship, as well as the baby...now Naruto is going to be properly living here, it'll be his address, it'll be on his official file...what's more, what if it is twins? It could be, and they already seem to think I'm building some sort of army, perhaps plenty of children isn't the best idea?_

* * *

**Next Chapter - Harry and Draco go on a date, the Elders again consider the possibility of Sasuke building an army and Harry and Draco retrieve a Horcrux!**


	7. One Down, Three To Go

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

As October continued, Harry strengthened his political ties. It was only going to be around a month before he revealed his endorsement of Fudge, so he continued to gather political allies, at the same time making sure to keep Shacklebolt in the dark about his choice of endorsement.

It was now the start of November and Friday night, and Harry was waiting in Snape's office, pacing back and forth.

"Sit down, Potter, you're acting like the world's coming to an end", Snape said, sighing to himself as he sat at his desk grading papers. Harry paused for a moment, before continuing pacing back and forth in front of the Potions professor's desk.

"How can I sit down? This is big – it's taken me so long to make sure this can happen, and now it's going to...I know people already know, but...but...do you even realise what could happen?"

"Yes, Potter, I am not a fool, but it isn't like you are being forced or coerced in any way."

"Define 'coerced'", Harry muttered under his breath. Although Snape did hear the comment, he was prevented from responding by a knock at the door. Draco entered and looked at Harry.

"Nice outfit", Draco commented, as he looked Harry up and down.

"Yeah, er – you too", Harry replied.

"Potter has just been pacing while considering the impact this situation could create", Snape supplied.

"Thanks", Harry retorted sarcastically.

"Come on, it'll be fine, stop worrying so much", Draco comforted, walking over to Harry and grabbing his hands. "Now – shall we go?"

"Er – yeah, I guess", Harry said. Draco pulled him over to the Floo and made Harry go through first, before following him to their destination.

At the other end, they stepped out of the flames and into a busy area. They walked over to a particular individual and gave their names, and before long found themselves seated at a table.

"See, we're on a date and nothing bad is happening", Draco said, as he perused the menu.

"I know, it's just – in order to leave school like this we had to pretend this was a political meeting between two Lords..."

"And thanks to you getting my title and assets restored, we are both Lords, so..."

"I know, but we can't be too date-y, we have to be all political-y", Harry groaned. "Did I just say..."

"Yeah", Draco nodded. They both laughed at that, and Harry visibly relaxed. "Feel better now?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, thanks. So, are you ready to order?"

"I think so."

A short while later, Harry was tense again, worrying about how he should act. He was aware that they were being watched, and it wasn't just a paranoid sense either, but he really was aware of people casting glances at the two of them.

"Draco –"

"You know, when we meet in the Room that could be considered dates", Draco said quietly. "But that doesn't mean we would act the same in public...I know you're worried about people looking, and also that this is supposed to be political, so let's make it look that way."

"How?"

"Did you decide yet what to do with your various properties?" Draco asked, sitting back in his seat slightly and sipping his drink.

"Well, I believe there are some that I don't really need that much, just as there are certain assets which I don't require, like the various potions ingredients."

"I'm sure Professor Snape could benefit from them."

"Yes, I'm sure he could. And your assets? They've all been fully restored, I hope."

"Yes they have, thank you for your assistance there", Draco replied.

They finished their meal, speaking amiably about various political issues. As they paid their bill and left, Harry thought about their evening –  _in the end,_ he said to himself,  _we talked about things we needed to discuss anyway, we just spoke without seeming too familiar with each other. I know someone was watching – and I'm fairly certain I know why – but it could easily be seen as a political meeting rather than a date...I suppose I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out._

"You okay?" Draco asked, as they walked through the streets of London.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, just thinking about everything tonight."

"I think it went well enough to look political to anyone else – and the tablecloth hid your wandering feet quite well."

"I couldn't help myself with you wearing such tight robes", Harry almost leered, leaning towards Draco. Draco elbowed him slightly before reaching down and grabbing Harry's hand.

"We're almost there, right? And even if we're not, we're far enough from the magical area of London by now..."

"We're almost there, did you read that bit of paper I gave you?"

"Yes, I read it and memorised it – stop worrying so much."

"Sorry, I just don't want to know what you'll see if you can't see the house."

"I'll be able to...is this the street?" Draco asked, looking down at a street sign for Grimmauld Place.

"Yep, follow me."

Harry led Draco down the street and into Grimmauld Place. As he was the owner due to Sirius' will, Harry was also able to let people in through the wards surrounding the house. He and Draco had decided to use the Floo from Grimmauld Place to go back to the school, in order to allow them to take a short walk after their food and as Harry wanted Draco to see the house.

"Come in", Harry said, pushing the front door open and leading Draco inside.

"This is the Black house then?" Draco asked.

"Yeah – do you want me to show you around? Or do we not have time?"

"We probably don't have time", Draco replied.

"I suppose", Harry agreed, noticing a clock stating that it was already 8.40pm. "Although, now I'm 17, I can stay out until midnight..."

"You may be 17, but I'm not, and don't forget that most people don't know when your real birthday is."

"Spoilsport", Harry grumbled slightly. Draco pulled him into his arms for a kiss.

"Hey, I know we had to act really political tonight, but sooner or later people will know we have been out together, and they may suggest –"

"Er – Draco?" Harry interrupted. "You should know that someone was watching us tonight, and I'm fairly certain that whoever it was who was watching was actually a reporter, or at least took a photograph...there's a very good chance that tomorrow morning's paper will have a story about us in it."

"Date-y or political-y?" Draco asked, smirking slightly. Harry hit him softly, before leaning in for another kiss.

"Come on, Floo's this way, we need to get back to school." Harry led Draco into the living room and to the fireplace, picking up the Floo powder from the mantelpiece. He stepped into the fireplace, dropping the Floo powder as he stated their destination, Snape's office at Hogwarts. Draco went to follow him, but turned slightly when he heard the door open, and he saw a house elf enter the room.

"Hello?" Draco asked.

"Even more mudblood's probably", the elf muttered.

"I'm not actually, and Harry isn't one either", Draco commented.

"Does what they say, never be a pureblood."

"What's your name?" Draco asked. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

"Pureblood name like...master should be using."

"Don't call him 'master' like that, in fact you probably don't have to at all, Harry's not like that...he's not an Order member though, and if he's really one of them then why don't the Order still meet here?"

"Kreacher not be being fooled by –"

"Kreacher, Harry is a good person, and he's becoming a good Lord. Sorry, but I've got to go." He left using the Floo, soon appearing in Snape's office.

"Hey, what kept you?" Harry asked. "We don't have long."

"Sorry, how long do we have?"

"You have four minutes to return to your common rooms", Snape stated.

"I can do that, it's not that far, but..." Draco trailed off.

"I can get there", Harry said cryptically. He hugged Draco, whispering in his ear: "journal later", before he quickly walked from the room, making his way through the castle to his common room.

"Goodnight, Professor", Draco stated, returning to his common room as well, intending to recount his meeting with Kreacher to Harry in their journals as soon as he was back in his dorm.

* * *

"If you start this conversation by asking me how I'm feeling, I'm going to get annoyed", Naruto commented, as he sat down opposite Tsunade in the latter's office.

"Still having mood swings?" Tsunade asked.

"No idea, but at least the morning sickness has stopped...and people keep looking at me."

"People keep looking at you?"

"Yes, like being pregnant means everyone gets to stare, and talk about it, and...and..."

"Gossip about the fact that the Rokudaime is pregnant and supposedly no-one knows who the father is?"

"Well it's not like it's any of their business, besides, what am I supposed to do, announce it? Ask Sasuke to marry me or something?"

"How about we discuss what I asked you here to talk about, which has nothing to do with your baby or your apparent proposal."

"I'm not going to propose!"

"Okay", Tsunade said, trying to calm the blond down.  _Definitely still having mood swings,_ she commented to herself.

"What's going on then? Something I can do for once?"

"Naruto, even if you weren't pregnant you're still the Hokage, you know the mission to Britain was a unique situation, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know", he relented.

"It's actually about Sasuke...you probably know that the Elders are still trying to keep him out of village affairs, but it's now the beginning of November – he's been back now for almost four months and he wasn't injured, so trying to keep him away from serious missions as some sort of post-mission recovery is getting stupid...besides, if Harry, Suigetsu and Sasuke are going to be taking part in the chunin exams next year then they will need to go on missions together, speaking of which..."

"Harry can return for the holidays in a month and a half, but he probably can't go on missions outside the village, as he will have to go back after only being here for a few weeks. He's asked if his boyfriend can join him?"

"I'll leave that up to you, as they will presumably be staying in the district again?"

"Yeah, but missions may be difficult, although he did say the spring holiday is a bit longer, so... Anyway, I guess you want to send Sasuke on a mission."

"We have a C-rank mission, escorting a dignitary from Konoha to Suna, but the political nature may require shinobi higher than may be needed for a normal C-rank mission...I thought, as they went on a mission together before, Sasuke, Suigetsu and Sai could handle it?"

"I don't see why not", Naruto shrugged, standing up to leave.

"Er, Naruto? I know it was only joking – or was it? When you mentioned you and Sasuke being married?"

"Er, I don't know...er – why?" Naruto stuttered out, blushing.

"I was just curious."

"Well, er – yeah, so...bye", Naruto managed to force out, before quickly walking out of Tsunade's office and back to his own.

Tsunade smiled at the actions of the young man, before another knock at her door signalled that she still had work to do before she could finish for the day. The village Elders entered, and Tsunade tried to suppress the sigh she let out as she realised they were probably there about Sasuke again.

"Tsunade-hime, people are beginning to talk", Homura said by way of greeting.

"I thought that was the problem last time", Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her chair as the two Elders sat down opposite her.

"The Rokudaime is making no attempt to hide his pregnancy", Koharu stated.

"Is he supposed to?" Tsunade asked.

"It won't be long before people find out who the other father is, and..."

"And what?" Tsunade asked. "Sasuke is more than able – and willing – to protect Naruto, the only reason he isn't Naruto's official bodyguard is that he's still a genin."

"And that will be changing?" Homura asked.

"Yes, he will be participating in the chunin exams next summer, and I expect in the jounin exams soon after...in the end, he's the only suitable candidate to protect someone as powerful as Naruto, as he's one of the only few people actually close in power to the Rokudaime."

"You should still be wary of helping a Uchiha", Koharu warned.

" 'A Uchiha'? He's the only one!"

"And the baby? Or babies? What will their surname be? What will their names be anyway – he might want them named after his clan, to start off his army", Koharu continued.

"How many times do I have to tell you that Sasuke is not building an army by having Naruto pop out soldiers for him?!" Tsunade asked angrily, abruptly standing up.

"You still haven't provided us with a viable solution if that does happen", Homura pointed out.

"Fine, if Sasuke decides to use his and Naruto's child or children to make an attempt on the village, I'll kill them myself, how is that?" Homura and Koharu didn't respond, but did stand up and make their way to the door.

"Incidentally, is it a boy or a girl? Or twins?"

"They've decided to wait until the birth to find out, so even I don't know the answer to that", Tsunade stated, fists clenched.

"We know that you don't believe it will happen, but the Rokudaime may not be able to prevent it, he may not be able to fight Uchiha when the time comes. And our theory will be proven when the baby or babies are born and they are given first names that are the same as members of the deceased Uchiha clan", was the final thing Homura said, before he and Koharu left Tsunade's office. Tsunade sighed to herself as she sat back down in her chair.  _Naruto, you will consider the repercussions of the names, won't you?_ she asked herself.  _Although he didn't mean it earlier, there's a good chance he will marry Sasuke, and he may end up becoming a Uchiha, and their children...I still don't believe that they will go after the village, Sasuke has made his loyalties obvious, but it won't help their situation if Naruto takes Sasuke's name, or if their children become Uchihas...they will have children as well, not just one, even if it is only one baby this time they'll have more, and this could be twins, or even triplets...and what if Naruto wants to name them after the clan? Sasuke won't argue if Naruto wants to, and the chances of a boy they have being called 'Itachi' may be quite high, Naruto may suggest it, and if he's still having mood swings Sasuke may not argue even if he doesn't think it's the best idea...I hope you two know what you are facing with all this._

* * *

Harry slung his bag over his shoulder as he left the room, walking down the corridor alone. He had just had an Arithmancy lesson, and while he would normally be with Theo, the other wizard wasn't feeling well, so Harry was alone. He took a quick turn down a side corridor and slipped into a small hidden alcove, waiting for a few minutes for everyone to be out of the area. He was free for an hour until lunch, so he was fine waiting until after the next lesson had started, the corridors becoming empty. He removed himself from the alcove and wandered down the corridor, pausing for a second at a certain point, before continuing on down the corridor. He slipped inside a secret passageway and walked down it a short way, before stopping and leaning with his back against the wall. He slid down the wall to the ground, putting his bag down beside him. Maia unwound herself from around Harry's leg, which she had wrapped herself around when Harry had paused a few moments previously, and wrapped herself around his arm instead, allowing her to speak into his ear.

"You're alone today", she noted.

"Yeah, Theo's sick, so... Have you got anything yet?"

"Yes, there was this certain phrase that made a door appear, although I couldn't open the door to find out what the room contained. I apologise for it taking me so long, but I was trying single words for some time before I moved on to phrases."

"So we have a room in the Room of Requirement which can only be opened by a phrase in parseltongue? That's almost definitely the one Voldemort hid the Horcrux in."

"Yes", she hissed in reply, curling more comfortably around Harry's arm.

"Maia, it's not that I mind you staying there, but I have to go down to meet Draco before lunch... if you stay quiet though you can sit in my bag? We have Defence after lunch and we're duelling again, so you can watch the show me and Draco have to put on."

"Show?"

"Half of what we would do in a real battle would be considered Dark, and I can't use any of my shinobi abilities, so it's almost like we're acting out a show."

"I see, but I wouldn't mind watching if I can stay in your bag?"

"Sure", Harry agreed, opening his bag and allowing her to slither inside. "Just stay quiet and still, I'll sneak some food from the lunch table for you – I'm sitting with Draco anyway, and he will find out about you sooner or later after all."

* * *

Later that night, well after curfew, Harry met Draco outside the Room of Requirement.

"Are you cold or something?" he asked the blond, noticing that he was shaking slightly.

"It's the middle of night and the middle of November", Draco pointed out. "Not exactly the warmest time."

"Sorry, want me to warm you up?" Harry asked, curling his arms around Draco.

"How come you're not cold?" Draco asked, his voice muffled as he buried his face in Harry's warm shoulder.

"Don't really feel it – must be my amazing shinobi strength", he joked.

"Shut up", Draco replied.

"I may not understand your words, but I know what you're thinking about right now, and I'd like to suggest you don't do it with me wrapped around your arm", Maia stated, poking her head out from where she was hidden, wrapped around Harry's arm under his robes.

"Harry?"

"Oh, sorry, this is Maia...I'll explain it all later, but she's the one who found the password for the room, so I couldn't really not bring her, could I? Anyway, Maia?"

"She...was that parseltongue?" Draco asked, as Maia unwound herself from Harry's arm and slithered down his sleeve. He crouched down to let her exit his sleeve onto the floor, and she moved over to the wall.

"No, she speaks Japanese as well...like I said, I'll explain later", Harry replied, watching Maia as she moved back and forth in front of the wall. She sat up slightly and hissed out the password phrase, and a door appeared.

"Guess that's our door then", Draco commented.

"Yeah."

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, she just didn't tell me the phrase...it was 'purebloods will rule'."

"Sounds about right", Draco said. Harry nodded and the two of them moved cautiously towards the door. Harry crouched to let Maia back onto his arm, and both wizards drew their wands. Draco noticed Harry was carrying weapons and decided that it may be a good thing, as they had no idea what would be on the other side of the door. Draco carefully and slowly opened the door and the two of them peered in. Seeing no danger, they entered and closed the door behind them.

"It looks like a bunch of junk", Harry said. "I'm sure there's something here, I can feel it, but..."

The two of them looked around the room. It was filled with various items, some valuable other not. There were bookshelves of items, a couple of wardrobes, various bits and pieces scattered around. Everything was all over the place, and it was almost like a maze, looking very much like some sort of antique store. There were broken bits of furniture, bits of jewellery, various weapons, statues and bits of clothing, and that was just what Harry, Draco and Maia could see from the doorway.

"There's a lot of stuff here – do you think we should just Summon it?" Draco asked.

"Do you really think it will work? And even if it does, do you really want to touch the Horcrux? Dumbledore is slowly dying thanks to a curse on the one he found, and we don't know how the curse was activated, so..."

"Didn't you say you had Voldemort's memories? I know you were having problems sorting through them, which is why you had to guess at the password, but..."

"Yeah, but a lot of this stuff wasn't here then...", Harry trailed off. "It's Ravenclaw's diadem that's here, so look for something like that."

"Like what?" Draco asked.

"Do you know Occlumency?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Snape's been teaching me Legilimency, I might be able to show you the image, hold on... look at me..."

Draco looked at Harry, and soon felt a push against his mind. He was a fairly skilled Occlumens, but he dropped his mental barriers, allowing Harry to push an image inside his mind.

"You're pretty good at that", Draco noted.

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't have considered it if the memory was anything bad", Harry said. "I've been working on the same thing with Snape, and I keep accidentally showing him things he shouldn't see."

"What if he figures out you're a shinobi?" Draco asked, moving into the room and looking around at the various items for something matching the image Harry had pushed into his mind.

"I already told him", Harry replied.

"What? You didn't tell me that!"

"I wanted him to trust me, and I didn't want him to be helping me out of loyalty to Lily Potter, who wasn't really my mother...besides, I knew he'd end up finding out sooner or later, and it's not like I can't find out details about him..."

"From me?" Draco guessed, navigating his way between some giant chess pieces. Harry was a few aisles over, checking through shelves of miscellaneous items, including dominoes and a banjo.

"Well, I could easily find out information by convincing you to talk...after all, we still have that box of toys you gave me for my birthday", Harry reminded him, as he passed an enormous stuffed troll with some large broomsticks leaning against it.

"Slytherin", Draco commented. "Incidentally, why do you think this room needed a password? There's no way Voldemort left all this stuff here, did he?"

"No, from what I figured out from the memories this is the Room of Hidden Things. Anyone can access it, but the password is part of the layers of magic preventing the Horcrux being found – I expect there will be more wards around it, but one of them means that we need the password to be able to retrieve the Horcrux."

"Can't you sense it? Or see it with those eyes of yours?" Draco asked teasingly.

"I can sense something, but it's like it's everywhere. As for the Sharingan, I don't think I'm good enough to differentiate the Horcrux from the other energies I'd be able to see from all the items here", Harry replied, stepping over a chipped bust of some old warlock which had helpfully been left in the middle of the floor.

"Er – Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I've got it", Draco replied. Harry moved over towards him, stepping around piles of books and a bloodstained axe to join Draco. Between more piles of books was a shelf containing various items, including some jewels, hats and an old record turntable. But what caught their attention was the diadem itself, placed inconspicuously on a shelf at about chest-height. They cautiously stepped towards it, wands ready.

"Draco, do you feel the urge to put it on?"

"Yeah, but I also know that that wouldn't be a good idea", Draco responded. "Part of the protections you think?"

"The Horcrux Dumbledore destroyed was a ring – perhaps he put it on and got cursed? And these extra spells are to make us want to put it on?" Harry replied.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't go with my hair", Draco joked.

"Idiot", Harry retorted good-naturedly. They stopped just in front of the bookshelf, and Harry pulled a large piece of cloth from inside his robes. He unfolded it and draped it over his hands, before reaching out towards the diadem. He picked it up carefully, making sure only the cloth touched it, then wrapped the cloth around it.

"I can't sense it any more", Draco noted.

"Yeah, I found this on my list of assets – it's actually a small robe, for a child or something, and it blocks out all magic, even the Dark stuff."

"Even the Killing Curse?"

"Not sure it's ever been tested – but then, who'd agree to be that test subject?"

"Someone who didn't know?" Draco suggested, as Harry finished folding the diadem up in the robe.

"We should get it into our own room", Harry said. "Just to be certain it will be alright – we can hide it in there until we know how to destroy it."

"Hide it?" Draco asked, as they made their way back through the room to the door, Maia tightening her grip on Harry's arm.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked Harry.

"Hold on", he replied to her in Japanese, before switching back to English and replying to Draco: "There is a possibility someone will find their way into our room at some point, which is why I don't like leaving things there, but we have nowhere better to hide it at the moment, so we can think up a hidden area in there somehow – ow." Harry said the final word in the same tone, so it took a moment for Draco to realise that Maia had bit him.

"Er – Harry?"

"Yeah, she does that, I must have annoyed her in some way."

"You said 'ow' as if..."

"She does it quite a bit, so I don't really feel that much pain from it any more", he stated, prodding Maia's head slightly to get her to release her fangs from his shoulder. "Draco asked me a question first, so I answered his question first", Harry stated calmly. "As for what we're going to do – Draco and I have a particular room we use, so we're going to leave this room, close it up, open up ours and hide the Horcrux in there while we look up how to destroy it."

"Fine", she replied. slithering down Harry's arm and waiting by the door.

"Women?" Draco said jokingly.

"Yeah, glad I'm gay...although in terms of mood swings, I bet Naruto's much worse by now..." Harry trailed off, thinking about his future niece or nephew.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, sorry, shall we get out of here? I don't really want to keep holding this thing, even if its magic is muffled by the cloth."

Draco nodded, and the two of them left the room, Maia slithering out behind them and hiding herself in a small alcove in the corridor, one only big enough for something small like her. Draco opened up his and Harry's usual room, and the two wizards entered.

"I think she's staying out there to sulk", Harry noted as he looked back at her. She disappeared in a puff of smoke, presumably returning to her own world, which merely made Harry smile to himself as he closed the door, deciding to wait a few days to summon her again –  _although,_ he added to himself,  _if I wait too long she'll bite me, or not long enough she'll bite me, so either way..._  He allowed his thoughts to trail off as he walked across to the couch and armchairs which surrounded the fireplace. There was a small coffee table there, which Harry pushed to one side, before kneeling on the floor and focussing his thoughts. There was a slight noise, and Harry set the wrapped Horcrux on the floor, before pulling up the now loose stone from the floor, revealing a small compartment beneath it.

"Not bad", Draco commented, as Harry gently set the still wrapped Horcrux in the compartment and put the stone back in place. He placed his hand over the stone and hissed something in parseltongue, before returning the coffee table to its place.

"That should do it", Harry said, standing up.

"What did you do?" Draco asked.

"Set a password on it."

"In parseltongue?"

"No, just the spell I used to set the password was parselmagic – the password is 'Uchiha', I figured that the shinobi would be the last thing anyone who came in here would think of, unless they want to berate them for not separating us or something, and the chances of them even remembering anyone's names..."

"Makes sense", Draco agreed. "What about destroying it?"

"Well, firstly I'm going to ask Dumbledore about the one he destroyed and how – I thought it would be interesting to see what he's actually willing to tell me, especially with my political endorsement not revealed yet..."

"He might only tell you in return for an endorsement", Draco warned.

"But why would someone as amazing and Light as him need to do something so deceitful like that?" Harry asked.

"Even so", Draco said, sitting down on the couch and pulling Harry to sit beside him.

"I'll ask Snape as well, see what he knows, and I'll look up some books in here another night... for now though, I'm kind of tired."

"Tired or 'tired'?" Draco asked, inclining his head towards their bed.

"Tired", Harry stated. "Sorry, but I think I'm just going to head back to my dorm – are you okay to get back to yours?"

"Sure, do you want to meet in a few days once you've had a chance to figure out more about how to destroy Horcruxes?"

"I'll talk to Dumbledore tomorrow, and Snape on Saturday morning while everyone's in Hogsmeade – he's supervising it, so I can probably talk to him for a moment – meet me on Sunday night?"

"Sure", Draco agreed, standing up. Before he and Harry left the room, he pressed his lips against Harry's briefly. "Good night kiss", he said, as Harry gave him a questioning look. "So, you know, have a good night", he added, before leaving the room. Harry looked back into the room one last time before he left as well, knowing he needed to destroy the Horcrux as soon as possible.

* * *

It was now Sunday night, and Harry entered the Room of Requirement to find Draco waiting for him on the couch, eyeing the floor under the coffee table uneasily.

"Please tell me you know how to destroy it, it's creeping me out knowing that it's there", Draco said by way of greeting.

"Hello to you too", Harry responded.

"Did you speak to Dumbledore then?"

"I went up to his office on Friday evening, after dinner. I guessed the password – it's always a sweet of some sort – and went up and knocked on the door. But he wasn't alone."

"Who was there?"

"The Order – Moody, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Molly, Arthur, Remus and Snape. Having a nice little meeting", Harry replied, flopping down onto the couch beside Draco.

"What about?"

"At the time I had no idea, I asked what was going on and Dumbledore just said something like: 'Well, you understand, don't you, my boy? We have to keep protecting the country from Cornelius after all. Now why don't you join us and discuss your endorsement of Kingsley?'. I almost hit him."

"But you didn't, right?"

"No", Harry sighed. "I just got annoyed that they were having meetings without me. Dumbledore said I was too young and inexperienced, he said that if I was mature enough to be an Order member then I was mature enough to endorse Shacklebolt. I ignored him and just left."

"You didn't ask him about the Horcruxes then?"

"No, I will some other time", Harry replied.

"Did you find out what was going on? What they were discussing?"

"I thought it was weird, how easily they let me come in to the office, as if they were expecting someone. But most of the other Order members – the surviving ones – got out after the war. I did wonder who they were waiting for, so I hid myself just outside the door. Seems like they were waiting for Hermione."

"So she's old enough but you're not? Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

"Yeah, but think about it – Dumbledore will tell me what they're doing if I endorse Shacklebolt. It's clear that he's blackmailing me, he just figures I won't notice. So I'm going to make it obvious."

"How do you mean?"

"Remember you were worried about that date we went on, when we realised there was a reporter there or something?"

"Yeah, but nothing came from it, right?" Draco asked, confused.

"I stopped it – I sent a letter to Fudge that night and made sure the story didn't get out. The reporter agreed under the assurance that they could run the story at a later date, with an interview from me as well, when we were ready to make our relationship public."

"Harry..."

"If you don't want to, then I won't, but I'll be revealing my endorsement of Fudge in a few weeks. He's invited me to dinner at the start of December, and I have mentioned before that I have a boyfriend...by the time I am supposed to meet him, a month will have passed since our date, so you can leave the castle again. We can reveal our relationship that day – as it's a Saturday we can hang out in your dorm all day, then go to the dinner via Snape's office and Grimmauld Place."

"That all sounds good", Draco agreed. "And not to change the subject – we can talk more about that later after all – but that...thing is still making me uncomfortable. I get that you're annoyed, and I agree about revealing our relationship and you're endorsement, but...do you know how to get rid of it?"

"Sorry", Harry apologised, cuddling himself against Draco's side. "I was just annoyed at it all. I spoke to Snape the following day, in Hogsmeade, and asked him about the Horcruxes – and the meeting. Apparently the Order are trying to break us up, as they think you're a bad influence, and Dumbledore has also discovered he can't access my vaults. At the moment he thinks it's a bank error, but that won't last long. Snape assured me he wouldn't tell them anything that they could use against us. He also told me about the Horcrux Dumbledore got – it was by putting it on that Dumbledore got cursed, although Snape said he didn't know why Dumbledore put it on in the first place."

"Perhaps the same thing that happened to us?" Draco suggested.

"I considered that, I mentioned it as well, but Snape says Dumbledore should have been able to fight it, especially as we managed to – for whatever reason, he actually wanted to put the ring on."

"Come on, he's not so power-hungry that he'd try to control Voldemort", Draco laughed. His face suddenly became more serious, as he added: "Is he?"

"I hope not. But all Dumbledore did in the end was crack the gem on the ring – he destroyed the Horcrux by damaging the object containing it. I think that, if we destroy the diadem, we will destroy the Horcrux. But I need you to help."

"Help how?"

"I have a way that I think should destroy it, but I need to be some distance away...basically, I just need you to toss it in the air, high in the air, then I'll do what I need to. Can you do that?"

"Is it still wrapped in that cloth?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll do it. What are you going to do?" Harry didn't respond, merely opened the compartment with the password 'Uchiha' and retrieved the still wrapped-up Horcrux. He handed it to Draco as the room changed around them, turning from their normal meeting and training room to the training ground Harry used when he was on his own, a forested area with a lake, which looked a lot like the training grounds in Konoha. Harry pulled Draco over to the lake.

"Toss it in the air, as high as you can, over the lake", he instructed Draco. The blond nodded in reply and unwrapped the Horcrux, making sure to hold it through the fabric. He saw Harry's hands move, then the dark-haired young man nodded. Draco tossed the Horcux into the air over the lake, keeping hold of the cloth and watching as a huge fireball engulfed the Horcrux. He looked at Harry, looking at the flames which appeared to be emerging from his boyfriend's mouth. He then turned his gaze back to the fire, as the diadem crackled and melted. There was an eerie shrieking sound which made Draco wince, just as the flames subsided and the remnants of the diadem fell into the lake of water. Harry fell to the floor on his knees, wobbling still, and Draco ran forward to catch him before he could fall into the lake.

"Harry?"

"Had to use almost all my chakra", Harry whispered. "Took a lot to destroy it...didn't know it would be so hard."

" 'So hard'? Now is not the time to be thinking about sex", Draco admonished. Harry laughed quietly, knowing that Draco was trying to make him feel better, and allowed his boyfriend to help him up. The room reverted back to how it had been before, allowing Draco to set Harry down on the bed, the dark-haired male immediately falling asleep from exhaustion. Draco looked to the empty area of the room, where the lake had been, and saw that the remnants of the Horcrux had reappeared on the floor. He approached slowly and looked at it. What had once been a golden diadem with sapphires was now a melted, charred lump of metal, all remnants of the Dark magic surrounding it having been destroyed, along with any Light magic which may have been there before Voldemort acquired it.

Draco glanced over at Harry briefly before looking back to the lump of metal. He drew his wand, and swept it over the lump of metal.

" _Depulso_ ", he incanted, banishing the object away.  _One down, three to go,_ he thought to himself, as he walked back to the bed to join Harry. He pulled off some of Harry's clothing and some of his own before climbing into bed, pulling Harry against him. Even though they normally slept in their dorms when the following day was a school day, it was already well past midnight, and Harry was clearly too weak to go back to his dorm, or even wake up enough to try to go back there. Although Draco knew little about Harry's shinobi abilities, he remembered seeing Harry train with his brothers, and knew a bit about what Harry could do – enough to know that he was fairly proficient at the jutsu he had used earlier.  _I hope you don't overdo it this much with the other three,_ Draco thought to himself.  _It'll be difficult for anyone but you to have the strength to do something like that, but I don't like seeing you so weak._ Harry fidgeted slightly and Draco pulled Harry against him, cuddling Harry close, with his head under Draco's chin. He felt his boyfriend stop fidgeting, and sighed to himself.  _I hope you feel better soon,_ was his final thought, before he drifted off as well.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Sasuke gets sent on a mission, Harry makes his endorsement public, and Naruto's pregnancy progresses!**


	8. Politics and Plans

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

As November came to an end, Sasuke, Sai and Suigetsu were walking slowly through the forests of Konoha. They were escorting a dignitary, along with his retinue, from the Fire Country to the Sand Village, and it was a slow and somewhat boring mission. Sasuke was at the front, trying to remain at the same slow pace as the retinue behind him, while Sai and Suigetsu were at the back, preventing any attack from behind.

"Do you think they can walk any slower?" Suigetsu asked Sai as they stopped for a break.

"I'm not sure, should I ask them?" Sai asked politely.

"It was a rhetorical question", Sasuke pointed out.

"Oh, I see", Sai nodded in understanding.

"What about the desert though – we're still in Konoha, still in the forests, how slow are they going to cross the desert? I really don't want to be out in that sun for longer than necessary", Suigetsu stated.

"They might cross the desert quicker due to the heat, or take plenty of breaks whenever we can find shade", Sasuke considered. Sai and Suigetsu shared a look, both of them noticing that Sasuke was speaking amiably with them.

"So, Sasuke, are you missing Naruto yet?" Sai asked. "After all, being in bed with him has to be quite fun or you wouldn't have gotten him pregnant, right?"

"Yes I miss him", Sasuke replied. "It looks like we're moving again", he added, walking away from the two of them to take up his place at the front of the group. Sai and Suigetsu shared a look as they fell into step at the back of the group.

"Is he ill?" Suigetsu asked.

"He doesn't seem to be showing any symptoms of illness", Sai reasoned. "Would you like me to try to take his temperature?"

"I didn't mean...don't worry about it, I was just saying that he's acting weird, don't you think so?"

"He doesn't seem to be behaving like he did last time."

"Last time?" Suigetsu repeated.

"A year ago, when we had that mission to the Sand with Anko, before you two went to Britain – when we teased Sasuke back then he was silent and then got revenge, but now he seems to be being friendly, unless he is still considering vengeance."

"He might be, but what can he do? Last time he basically told me about Karin – and we're together now – and he tried to make you and the Kazekage think you liked each other, which also had something to do with his jealousy about the Kazekage's bond with Naruto, but that won't work again. Besides, Naruto is clearly Sasuke's now."

"He's pregnant, it's not like they're married", Sai said.

"Yet", Suigetsu commented. Sai didn't respond, merely thinking about the possibility as the two of them continued walking. Suigetsu almost hoped that Sasuke did get revenge on them,  _if he doesn't,_ Suigetsu thought to himself,  _then we have to consider the possibility of this being a shadow clone, which would also explain why he's not missing Naruto, as the real Sasuke is actually still there..._

"What is it?" Sai asked.

"Just a conspiracy theory", Suigetsu responded. "I'll tell you later."

* * *

December arrived swiftly at Hogwarts, bringing with it the snow that was always seen in the winter this far north. Harry and Draco were in Draco's dorm, preparing to go to dinner with the Minister and his wife.

"The story about our relationship will go out in the paper tomorrow morning", Harry stated.

"Front page, I guess?" Draco replied.

"No, I expect that will be my endorsement of Fudge, but further back in the paper will be information on our relationship."

"Did you give them the interview then?" Blaise asked from across the room, where he was lazing on his bed.

"Yeah, it was part of the agreement to make sure the story wasn't published a month ago", Harry replied. "The questions weren't as bad as I was expecting, actually."

"What were you expecting?" Theo asked from his desk, to Harry and Draco's left.

"Them to ask about our sex life", Harry stated simply.

"Harry!" Draco admonished.

"What? Wouldn't you expect that?"

"If they ask things like that you can just walk away", Blaise reasoned. "They probably figured they'd avoid asking you anything like that so they could ask you as many other questions as possible. Did they ask about your endorsement?"

"They don't know about it yet, I just said that Draco and I were joining the Minister and his wife for a political meeting, and I wanted them to report it. As Draco and I will obviously be there as a couple, as it's more my political connections involved here, they will publish what they know with or without my interview, and I'd rather they didn't speculate."

"Are you going to announce your endorsement tonight then?" Pansy asked from the doorway. "Elections are less than a month away after all."

"Yeah, I'll be announcing it at the dinner tonight", Harry sighed. "Speaking of which...we should probably get going", he added, turning to Draco.

"Sure", Draco nodded, checking the mirror one last time. Harry reached around Draco, seemingly hugging him from behind, although he straightened the front of Draco's robes while his arms were there. "Wasn't it fine before?" Draco asked.

"Of course not, if it was then I wouldn't have straightened it would I?" Harry asked, heading for the door. "Or do you think I just wanted an excuse to grope you?" he added, winking to Pansy as he passed her in the doorway. Draco rolled his eyes and muttered a quick goodbye to the other three, as he followed Harry through the Slytherin common room and the school and into Snape's office. They used the Floo to get to the restaurant where they were meeting the Minister and his wife. They arrived first and were seated at their table.

"Harry, stop fidgeting", Draco muttered under his breath.

"Sorry, it's just...I might have only said I was bringing my 'boyfriend', not who he was."

"What do you mean 'he'? Something you want to tell me?" Draco asked.

"Idiot", Harry muttered back, noticing the waiter leading the Minister and his wife over to the table. Harry and Draco stood up politely.

"Good evening, Lord Potter", the Minister greeted Harry. "I do not believe you have met my wife?"

"No, I haven't yet had the pleasure", Harry replied, shaking her hand. She nodded in reply. "And this is Draco Malfoy, my boyfriend", Harry added.

"Yes, it's good to meet you", the Minister responded politely, looking Draco up and down before the four of them sat down.

As they ordered drinks and food, the four of them engaged in small talk, mostly concerning the weather and Harry and Draco's education. However, as they were eating their main course, the conversation turned towards politics.

"Minister, I wanted to thank you for restoring my title and assets to me", Draco said.

"Of course, once Harry had told me enough about you for me to realise you weren't Dark, there was no question", Fudge replied. "As for others, I'm most likely going to wait until after the election."

"What about those names which were removed from the Wizengamot by Dumbledore?" Harry asked. "Some of them don't seem to have any Dark tendencies whatsoever."

"Such as?"

"Well, the Prince name, held by Professor Severus Snape – Dumbledore has been adamant that Snape was a spy for the Light – and he was, I have no doubt about that – but surely Professor Snape should have access to his estate? I can understand it being removed from him so that Snape wouldn't be forced to offer anything he owned to Voldemort, and to give him a reason to dislike Dumbledore, but surely now that the war's over, now that Voldemort's gone..."

"Hmm", the Minister hummed. "That would certainly make sense. Well, it seems as though I will have to review a lot of Dumbledore's actions while he held his position, but nevertheless, to do so before the election..."

"I don't think any of the parties involved would have any issue with waiting another month", Harry pointed out.

"Well, perhaps you would review the information for me after that?" Fudge asked Harry.

"I'm not sure I'm qualified –"

"After the election, which I'm sure I will win with your support, I would like you to remain an active part of my government – I would like you to be one of my main advisors."

"Minister, I'm young and inexperienced –"

"And modest, it seems", the Minister cut in. "You have learnt a lot in a short time, and you are...uniquely placed in that you can learn more about Dumbledore's actions..."

"Yes, I suppose I am...well, I wouldn't mind the position, but only if you're sure I wouldn't be any sort of hindrance..."

"I thought that the political ignorance was reserved for Dumbledore", Draco joked.

" 'Political ignorance'?" the Minister repeated.

"Yes, Dumbledore's been trying to convince me to endorse Shacklebolt, and I've been avoiding by claiming that I don't understand politics and that I will get back to them when I know more...although Dumbledore has also made it clear that he won't allow me into meetings of the Order of the Phoenix until I do endorse Shacklebolt, which he will know is never going to happen when he reads the paper tomorrow morning."

"The Order of the Phoenix still exists?" Fudge asked in surprise.

"Yes, but now it seems more about politics and about getting Shacklebolt in and you out – at least as far as my sources indicate."

"You have your spies then", Fudge commented knowingly. Harry merely smirked in reply. "Well then, I definitely see no reason why you would be a hindrance to me."

"Nevertheless, I feel like I would be better suited to things such as helping you catch any remaining Death Eaters", Harry said.

"Well, that would be of use as well, but I still would like you to consider holding a political position in the new year."

"Well, I suppose that would be okay then", Harry relented.  _And what I was hoping you'd suggest,_ he added silently.

"Excellent. I will look into the matter of Professor Snape, but I will leave everyone else until after the election, how does that sound?"

"That would be very good, thank you Minister."

The rest of the meal passed by relatively amiably. As predicted, they were stopped by a reporter as they were leaving, and gave him enough information for the story to certainly be the front page story the following day. Harry and Draco said goodnight to the Minister and his wife, who were leaving via the Floo, before heading out of the restaurant and walking down the street.

"I suppose having a house in London is quite helpful, especially if you keep booking restaurants not too far from Grimmauld Place", Draco noted.

"I like the walk, and it gives us some time to talk", Harry shrugged.

"That story will be front page tomorrow", Draco pointed out.

"I know, but that's the point – after all, I did say that Shacklebolt would know my answer concerning his endorsement by mid-December, and it's only the beginning of December, so really I'm a little early."

The two of them soon arrived at Grimmauld Place and Harry opened the door. Draco noted that the place seemed much cleaner and lighter than last time.

"I don't know what you said to Kreacher, but he's being a bit more...helpful", Harry said.

"Just that you weren't so far from being a pureblood as most people believe", Draco replied.

"Really?" Harry asked, putting his hands on Draco's waist and pulling the blond against him.

"Well, was I wrong?" Draco asked, kissing Harry before the other young man could respond. They broke apart a moment later, allowing Harry to reply:

"Just admit it, you like it when I act like a pureblood", he teased.

"Shut up."

"When I act all cunning, and Slytherin-like, and –"

"Shut up!"

"Am I turning you on?" Harry whispered into Draco's ear. "'Cause you know, I do have a bedroom here..."

"I thought you hated this house?"

"Well, it could stand to be redecorated or something, but if Kreacher's going to be more loyal...don't change the subject."

"I'm not, and it already looks better than last time, more open and clean, and – umph!" Draco grunted as Harry pushed him up against the wall of the entryway, forcefully kissing Draco. The blond groaned into the kiss, allowing Harry to deepen it, delving his tongue into Draco's mouth.

"Harry – urgh – we have to – ah! – be back at school by – fuck! – nine and it's already getting close –"

"It's not the only thing getting close, is it?" Harry leered. He kissed Draco again before pulling his arm, practically forcing Draco to go upstairs with him.

Harry led Draco down the corridor and into a large bedroom. Draco didn't get the chance to look around the room, as he was immediately picked up and tossed onto the bed, Harry straddling him and kissing him again.

"We really don't have time", Draco tried again, groaning as Harry ground down against him.

"Shh, it'll be fine", Harry whispered almost soothingly. His actions didn't match his tone of voice though, as he roughly massaged Draco through the blond's trousers. Draco groaned again, and Harry slipped his hand inside his boyfriend's trousers and underwear, continuing to stroke him.

"Fuck", Draco moaned. Harry leant down to kiss him, slipping his tongue into Draco's mouth and encouraging Draco's own tongue to play with his. Draco kissed Harry as best he could with Harry's hand still rubbing at him, pushing him closer and closer. And when Harry pushed Draco's trousers down and took the blond's cock in his mouth, Draco lost it, spilling his seed down Harry's throat.

Harry willingly swallowed it all, before sitting up, straddling Draco again. He took advantage of Draco's post-orgasmic state to strip both of them quickly, then flipped Draco onto his front and ran his fingers teasingly over the puckered entrance.

"Harry, we really don't –"

"Come on Draco, you aren't going to deny me my release after I just gave you yours, are you?" Harry asked, laying himself completely across Draco's back and speaking directly into the blond's ear.

"I guess", Draco said uncertainly, likely not sure what he was agreeing to, as two dry fingers entered him roughly, wiggling around and searching for the spot which would make the blond moan in pleasure. As soon as Harry found that spot, he wasted no time in battering it relentlessly, a third finger soon joining the first two to stretch Draco open for a much larger intrusion into his body.

When Harry removed his fingers, Draco groaned in displeasure, before moaning as Harry quickly replaced his fingers with his cock, wasting no time before setting a fast pace, slamming in and out of Draco's body. He pulled Draco up onto his hands and knees, roughly penetrating his boyfriend. Draco moaned repeatedly, thrusting his hips back to feel more.

As Harry got closer, he pulled himself out of Draco, flipped the blond onto his back, and re-entered him, lifting Draco's legs onto his shoulders to get the angle he knew would drive Draco insane with pleasure. It wasn't long before he felt the familiar tightening of Draco's hole, just before the blond moaned and arched his back, coming in long spurts across his and Harry's stomachs. Harry groaned out his boyfriend's name before reaching his own release inside Draco. He pulled out, watching with satisfaction as some of his come dribbled back out of Draco's hole, then flopped down on the bed beside him, pulling Draco against him. He cast a quick spell, wandlessly and wordlessly cleaning the two of them, then cuddled Draco against them, both of them napping slightly.

They stayed like that for some time, until suddenly:

"Harry! You do realise that it's almost ten, right?!" Draco almost shouted, jumping out of the bed and grabbing at his clothes, which were scattered haphazardly around the room.

"I can stay out until midnight", Harry commented.

"I can't! And if you do then you have to admit when your real birthday is, which means telling Dumbledore you know things about yourself he doesn't know! And –" He was interrupted by Harry pressing his lips to Draco's, before pulling back:

"Draco, calm down. Snape won't mind, and nor will anyone else in your House, they might just tease you or something. And when the news story breaks tomorrow morning, Dumbledore will know exactly where my loyalties lie."

"No he won't."

"What?"

"He'll know that you are supporting Fudge. He'll probably check at Gringotts and discover you know about everything there. He won't know that you're loyal to Konoha, that you're a shinobi, or when your real birthday is, or –"

"I'm not going to tell him any of that – Draco, it'll be fine, just slow down."

"No! Now get out of bed and put your clothes on!"

"The opposite of what you were asking me to do an hour and a half ago then", Harry stated.

"Just stop it!" Draco said, getting annoyed for real.

"Draco – I'm sorry okay, I just don't want to have to rush around because of Dumbledore."

"Then next time let's go back to school and go to my dorm, we can silence the curtains around my bed and stick them closed, no-one will be able to hear or see us."

"That would probably have been a better idea", Harry admitted sheepishly, finishing getting dressed. "Floo?"

"Yes."

The two of them went downstairs and into the living room, using the Floo to take themselves back to Snape's office.

"An hour late?" Snape asked from his desk, where he was sat marking papers as the two of them emerged.

"Yeah, sorry, we er – lost track of time", Draco replied, fidgeting.

"You are dismissed Mr Malfoy, as you were due back in your common room an hour ago. Ten points from Slytherin."

"Yes Professor", Draco replied, hurrying from the room.

"It was technically my fault", Harry stated, once the door had closed behind Draco.

"In that case, I will also take 50 points from Gryffindor."

"Five times more because...?"

"And 10 more for questioning me."

"If I argue more, will you take more points? I really would like to see Ron and Hermione's faces if Slytherin win the House Cup this year."

"Well, with Mr Weasley as the Quidditch team's captain, I expect my House to win the Quidditch Cup as well."

"Yeah, and I guess I should cheer for my boyfriend's team after all..."

"Was there anything else, Mr Potter?"

"The Order are still trying to separate us?"

"They have a plan regarding Miss Weasley, copious amounts of alcohol and a Christmas party."

"I'm going back to Konoha for the holidays, and Draco's coming with me."

"Then their plan will backfire."

"Yes – would you mind if we left via the Floo in your office after school on the last Friday of term?"

"You will have to get Professor McGonagall's permission as well, but I don't see why not. Your cover story?"

"We're going to be staying with Draco's mother for a little while anyway, we'll just say we're spending the whole holidays with her, I'm sure she won't mind covering for us if the need arises."

"Very well."

"The newspaper will announce my endorsement of Fudge tomorrow morning, as well as make mine and Draco's relationship public knowledge. You should expect several Order meetings soon, as well as people questioning what Draco did to me, and not just students you can punish either – I know he's your godson and you care about him, so I thought I'd warn you."

"The Yule Ball was once held every year, and now the war is over, the tradition is starting again. It will be held on the Friday night you were planning to leave on. Surely you would prefer to remain for that?"

"I didn't know it was happening", Harry admitted. "Was it announced when I wasn't around?"

"No, it will be announced over the weekend, the preparations were only recently finalised."

"In that case, I expect we won't leave until Saturday anyway. The time difference means that if we leave early Saturday afternoon, we'll arrive at night, so we can go straight to bed. I'll just have to send a message there."

"How exactly do you go about doing that?"

"No offence Professor, but I'm not going to tell you everything, now am I?"

"I suppose you wouldn't."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mr Potter."

* * *

HARRY POTTER ENDORSES FUDGE! AND HIS RELATIONSHIP REVELATION!

_Lord Harry Potter-Black last night announced his endorsement of current Minister Cornelius Fudge in the upcoming elections. He was seen out at dinner with the Minister and his wife, and revealed his endorsement to us._

" _It may seem as though Minister Fudge has made many mistakes over the last year", Lord Potter-Black told this reporter, "however, he was mostly tricked into his actions by those loyal to Voldemort – and the Minister should not be blamed for being fooled by those who took us all in, and may still do so. I believe the Minister will lead us into a better future, and his campaign plans are going to be very helpful to this country."_

_Lord Potter-Black went on to question what the opposing candidate, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was even promising, claiming that Mr Shacklebolt had been very unclear in his campaigns. "Mostly he seems to be setting himself up as the opposite of the Minister, which isn't necessarily what the country needs right now", Lord Potter-Black's partner, Lord Draco Malfoy, (see below) stated. "We can't allow someone to win if they don't even have any idea why they're running, can we?" Lord Malfoy continued._

_Also revealed was the relationship between Lords Harry Potter-Black and Draco Malfoy, which has been going on for some time. The two young Lords have been seen in each other's company very often, and no-one seems to oppose their relationship in any way, or at least this reporter could find no trustworthy source which opposed them._

_Finally, this reporter would like to offer congratulations to Lords Potter-Black and Malfoy on their relationship, and to the Minister on his endorsement, which personally I hope will lead to his victory, with the two young Lords standing beside him._

_For more on the upcoming election, see pages 3 to 8._

_For more on the Potter-Black-Malfoy relationship, see pages 9 to 12._

"What do you think?" Draco asked Harry. The two of them were sitting together for breakfast in the Great Hall on Saturday morning, the morning after the events the paper were reporting. It was still fairly early, so the room was practically empty, allowing them to talk so openly about the events.

"Didn't waste much time, did they?" Harry commented, referring to the fact that they had only made their announcements the night before.

"They generally don't. What about the article?"

"Nothing bad, the reporter actually openly supports Fudge – with us standing behind him of course – although he only supports us on a personal level, he can't suggest the newspaper in general supports us."

"What do you mean 'us'?" Draco asked. Harry pointed to the article, and Draco quickly read it. "They can't mean me as well, can they?"

"Why not? If we're together then surely we would support the same candidate, right?"

"Yeah, but no-one's going to care about my support, are they?"

"They might, now that people know we're together..."

"I guess", Draco said unsurely. Harry pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

"Hogsmeade today? I know Christmas isn't a thing in Konoha, but I still wanted to take presents for everyone, especially my future niece or nephew."

"I guess I should help if I'm going with you to Konoha", Draco replied.

"Fine with me", Harry replied, standing up from the Slytherin table and leaving the folded newspaper on the table, before he and Draco left the Great Hall.

* * *

On Wednesday afternoon, everyone was in Apparition. At the beginning of the lesson everyone had been divided into groups, based on their level of proficiency. Harry and Draco were already fairly good at it, as was Neville, which many people – including Neville himself – found surprising, particularly Hermione, who was having difficulties with the subject, as was Ron. As the lesson came to an end, Harry nodded to Draco.

"Harry, will you be my date to the Yule Ball?" Draco asked, loud enough that many people could hear him without making it obvious he was trying to attract attention.

"Of course, who else would I go with?" Harry responded, kissing Draco, before the two of them left the Great Hall, holding hands.

"Why the hell are you going with the ferret?" Ron asked, stopping the two of them in the corridor outside the Great Hall.

"Why wouldn't I?" Harry replied. "Did you miss the paper on Saturday? Draco and I are together, and have been for a while, why can't you just accept that?"

"Because you aren't gay!" Ron practically shouted.

"Ron, don't shout", Hermione admonished. "Although I do agree."

"I've never told you I wasn't gay, have I? So why do you assume I ever wasn't? It's not like I liked girls then all of a sudden Draco came along and I suddenly 'turned gay', that's not how it works."

"We know it's not, that's why we know he did something to you", Hermione replied calmly.

"Don't you have class to get to Granger?" Blaise asked, walking past them. "Wouldn't want more detentions now, would you?" he called, as he continued walking away from them.

"He has a point", Harry agreed.

"I wouldn't share a dorm with someone gay, so if you were gay then I wouldn't want to share a dorm with you", Ron pointed out.

"Are you saying you have some sort of instinct that would make you dislike me if I was gay even if I'd never told you?" Harry asked.

"Obviously", Ron stated. Harry looked at him for a moment, before turning to walk down the corridor to the Slytherin common room, Draco with him. Ron and Hermione stared after them for a moment, before Hermione had to hurry off to her next class.

After Draco and Harry re-entered the common room, Harry took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked him.

"Yeah, it's just...last June I thought that their problem was just with you, but now I guess I can see that it's not just about you, but about my sexuality – and I wouldn't just stop being gay if I wasn't with you, I couldn't do that."

"Couldn't stop being gay or couldn't stop being with me?"

"Draco...they were my friends, even if they have been increasingly annoying me...what should I do?"

"If they won't accept you then they aren't your friends", Pansy stated, entering the common room behind them.

"I guess", Harry said uncertainly.

"If we just carry on as we are, then sooner or later they will accept us, if they really care about you – they may just need some time to be sure that I'm not Dark and Fudge will be a good Minister with you there, that sort of stuff."

"What about the Order? Hermione is apparently part of it now after all."

"Nothing you can do except make sure they don't get in the way, and you have Professor Snape to help you with that", Draco replied.

"Yeah", Harry nodded. "Ron said he doesn't want someone gay in his dorm..." he trailed off.

"So?" Draco asked.

"I...I'll be back soon", Harry said, before leaving the common room. Draco and Pansy shared a look before they both shrugged, starting on their homework.

* * *

As Sasuke, Sai and Suigetsu were only supposed to escort the dignitary to the Sand then come back, they shouldn't have been gone long. It was three days from the Leaf to the Sand, so even allowing for an extra day there, it should have taken them a week. Three weeks after he had left, Sasuke sighed as he finally re-entered his house. It was late at night, and he assumed Naruto was already in bed, so he made his way up to their bedroom as silently as possible, quietly undressing and sliding into bed. He got comfortable and closed his eyes, when Naruto suddenly shot upright.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Sasuke asked, putting his hand on the small of Naruto's back.

"No..." Naruto trailed off. "Sasuke..."

"Sorry we took so long, that stupid man took two and a half weeks just to get there, and then that annoying Kazekage decided to question me incessantly about your health and how you were coping with pregnancy, but we did get some useful information on the way back about a member of the Akatsuki...the only problem is that the three of us are leaving again in a few days –"

"Sasuke, shut up", Naruto said, pulling Sasuke's arm so that the dark-haired male sat up beside him. He moved Sasuke's arm, pushing his boyfriend's hand flat against his curved stomach.

"Naruto, what –" Sasuke cut himself off as he felt... "Was that the baby?"

"Yeah, that's the first time...guess it missed you too", Naruto whispered.

"You missed me dobe?"

"Three weeks and...did you say you were leaving again in a few days?!"

"Sorry, but it has to be us, and we have some time-sensitive information on Hoshigaki Kisame...does it hurt?"

"What?" Naruto asked in confusion. "Oh, no, not really, it just woke me up, and –ow!"

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"That one was hard", Naruto said, rubbing a different area of his stomach from where Sasuke's hand was still resting.

"There?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah...no!"

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked in concern.

"I'm getting kicked in two different places – you made it twins, teme!"

"I didn't make it twins if it wasn't already", Sasuke replied calmly. "Besides, it could be just one baby punching in one direction and kicking in another."

"I guess...did you think about names?" Naruto asked.

"No, not really, did you?"

"I had quite a bit of time while you were gone", Naruto said, folding his arms and looking away from Sasuke.

"Naruto, we came back as quick as we could, we even made it back here from the Sand in a day and a half, and that was with Suigetsu with us."

"I suppose", Naruto relented. "Anyway...I was wondering if you maybe wanted to name it after – if it's a boy – Itachi? We don't have to", Naruto added quickly. Sasuke looked at Naruto for a moment, then dropped his eyes to Naruto's swollen stomach, reaching out to rub at the area where Naruto kept being kicked.

"What do you think?" Sasuke asked softly. He felt a kick at his hand, making Sasuke jump slightly.

"Was that a 'yes' or a 'no'?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"What do you want it to be?" Naruto asked back.

"There are people who won't like that", Sasuke pointed out.

"Screw them." Sasuke looked at Naruto in surprise. "It's our baby, not theirs", Naruto added.

"Are you sure though? Uchiha Itachi?"

"Why does he get your surname?"

"Well...er..." Sasuke trailed off. "Naruto, I'm the last Uchiha, you have Karin, so..."

"If I have to go through all this and the baby is getting your brother's name, he's not getting your surname as well!"

"But –"

"No, I refuse!"

"Okay, what if our first child is a Uchiha and the second is an Uzimaki?"

"Sasuke –"

"Not that it's twins, but I do want more children, don't you?"

"Do you really think I'm ever going through this again?!" Naruto asked loudly. "Urgh...fine, the first child can have your surname and the second can have mine – but we should probably try to avoid giving the baby an entire name from your clan."

"You make it sound like you had other name ideas from my clan", Sasuke pointed out.

"Well...the Elders think you're building an army to take the village", Naruto admitted.

"Using you?" Sasuke guessed. "Wait – they think I'm just using you?!"

"Sasuke, calm down, their just being cautious...but I just thought it'd be funny if the baby had a name from your clan, and Itachi did, well you know what he did."

"You thought of others though?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, I also thought of 'Madara', the leader of your clan when the village was founded."

"Itachi mentioned once that I look like him...not sure I agree, as Itachi's eyes weren't exactly the best at that point...don't you want a name from your family though? Like your parents?"

"Well, if it's a girl we could name it after one of our mothers, but I'm not sure about my father, he was the Hokage and I don't want people thinking I'm just naming the baby after my predecessor."

"Uchiha Kushina, Uzimaki Itachi, Uzumaki Madara, Uzimaki Mikoto", Sasuke said slowly. "We have some options then."

"Yeah", Naruto agreed, before yawning widely.

"Sorry, am I keeping you up Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked teasingly.

"Shut up teme", Naruto replied, flopping back down to the bed. Sasuke laid down beside him, pulling the covers over both of them and wrapping his arm around Naruto. The blond snuggled against him.

" 'Night", Sasuke muttered into blond hair.

" 'Night teme", Naruto mumbled back, already half-asleep. Sasuke smiled to himself that, even when half-asleep, Naruto could still manage to use the insulting nickname he'd given him several years ago, before he joined Naruto in sleep.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Sasuke's team head off after Kisame, the Yule Ball and the Christmas holidays start! And a revelation about the baby/babies...**


	9. The Christmas Holidays

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

In Konoha, Naruto was sitting in the garden which Sasuke had gotten him for his birthday. Although it was mid-December, Konoha never really got that much of a winter, so he was still fine to be outside – not that there was anyone around to berate him for it anyway. It was the middle of the day, so Karin would be at the hospital and Juugo at the school, the man now training to be an academy sensei (as he didn't feel comfortable going on missions), while Sasuke and Suigetsu were on a mission with Sai and Kakashi, looking for one of the Akatsuki. Naruto sighed to himself:  _I knew that it wouldn't be easy to track down one of the Akatsuki, or defeat him, but I hoped Sasuke would be quicker than this, as they should have reached the place they were heading for information by now..._

Elsewhere in Konoha, Sasuke, Sai, Suigetsu and Kakashi were sat in a bar. There was an inn above it which Kisame had apparently stayed in for a few days, but none of the staff of the inn would tell them anything.

"I guess that means he was almost definitely here then", Kakashi pointed out.

"How do you figure that?" Suigetsu asked.

"Because no-one will tell us anything – but they also haven't said that they didn't see him, and he has got quite distinctive features", Kakashi replied.

"They are obviously hiding something, but how should we get them to talk to us?" Sai asked.

"Sasuke, go ask that barmaid", Suigetsu said. Sasuke glared at him. "No, I'm not giving you an order", Suigetsu continued, "it's just that they'll talk to you – or at least she will."

"Why do you think that?" Sasuke asked between gritted teeth.

"Well, she's been ogling you since we came in, and it's not like that hasn't worked before, you asking questions and people – that is, women – telling you what you want to know", Suigestu responded.

"I'm with Naruto", Sasuke stated.

"Really, no-one noticed", Kakashi commented dryly.

"I did", Sai cut in. The other three looked at him for a moment, then Sasuke sighed in apparent defeat.

"You're actually going to do it?" Kakashi asked in surprise.

"I'm just going to ask, if she wants to call it flirting I couldn't care less, I wouldn't do that to Naruto. Besides, the quicker we get the information, the quicker I can get back to him." Sasuke stood up from the table and walked over to the young barmaid, who was blushing fiercely even before he reached her.

"I can't believe he admitted that", Sai stated. "He normally ignores us when we mention Naruto."

"It's not like their relationship is a secret", Suigetsu pointed out. "Although, I wasn't expecting him to openly admit any sort of feelings towards Naruto."

"Feelings?" Sai asked.

"Yeah, by saying he wouldn't flirt with someone else, he's admitting he cares about Naruto, after all, even though it's just flirting, it's for a mission, and Naruto wouldn't have to know anyway."

"What do you think Kakashi?" Sai asked.

"I think we might be about to leave", was Kakashi's only reply, as Sasuke returned to the table. "That was quick", he added, as Sasuke sat back down.

"Kisame stayed here for around a week and a half, gathering a few supplies from this village. He left four days ago, and apparently threatened the staff not to tell anyone they saw him. He headed North-East", Sasuke told them.

"If he threatened the staff, why did she tell you?" Sai asked.

"She realised my mission was to either catch him or get rid of him, and decided that I would clearly be the victor, even without you three, so she was safe to talk to me", Sasuke replied.

"How is it that you have girls fawning all over you everywhere?" Suigetsu asked.

"You sound jealous. Is Karin not enough for you?" Sasuke asked him.

"Like I'd answer that, you'd only tell her, besides, you're the one with fangirls everywhere."

"Yes, but I don't want to have fangirls, you sounded like you do want them", Sasuke stated. Suigetsu huffed and stalked off outside, carrying his sword over his shoulder. Sasuke smirked slightly, before he, Kakashi and Sai followed, the three of them heading North-East, four days behind Kisame.

In the Uchiha district, Naruto started slightly, as he was kicked from inside. His arrangement with Sasuke over the surnames meant that he now wanted twins, so in a way he was glad that he was so big and being kicked from different directions – he wanted a second child so it could have his surname, but he also didn't want to be pregnant again. Although, he did still have a plan for getting Sasuke pregnant...

Naruto was interrupted from his scheming by the appearance of a snake in front of him. He soon realised it was Maia, and greeted her, taking the scroll which she was carrying.

"Message from Harry", was all she said, as she wound herself around Naruto's arm comfortably. "I'll wait for a reply", she added, before settling herself in place. Naruto opened the scroll and read it.

_Naruto,_

_Our winter holidays start soon. I'll be arriving on Saturday December 21st, with Draco. I wanted to let you know that the reason we have holidays at this time is because of a winter holiday called 'Christmas' on the 25th. There are lots of different traditions, some of them based on a religion that I don't particularly believe in, but basically it's a day where you eat lots of junk food and get presents from your friends and family, and give them presents too – sort of like on birthdays, but everyone does it. There's also a traditional meal, but that's not important. Please don't feel like you have to get us anything or even do anything, I'd just appreciate not having missions that day, and I have got you guys a few presents, but mostly I got stuff for my future niece or nephew, as I have no idea if I'll be back before you give birth or not. We do celebrate the New Year as well, but you do too, so that's not so important. I'll need to be back in Britain a few days before school, so I won't be there for long, I'll have to leave again on Thursday January 2nd. Maia said she'd wait for a reply, but I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay with you and the baby, if you want to wait until you see me then that's fine._

_See you soon,_

Naruto smiled to himself as he rubbed at his stomach, jostling Maia slightly.

"Sorry, just thinking", Naruto apologised to her.

"It's fine. Are you sending a reply?"

"Not a written one, but would you just tell him that it's fine for him to arrive that day and leave when he says, I'll sort out the dates, and he can arrive into the Uchiha district if he wants?"

"Sure", Maia said, before popping away in a puff of smoke. Naruto sighed to himself, missing Sasuke already, before going back into the house to make himself some food, trying to ignore the quiet around him.

* * *

The rest of the term flew by, and before they knew it, the last day of term had arrived – which meant the Yule Ball. Harry had decided to get ready in Draco's dorm, and he, Draco, Theo and Blaise had just finished getting ready and had gone back out into the common room to wait for Pansy and Millicent, Theo's and Blaise's respective dates. Once the two girls arrived, the six of them made their way to the Great Hall, which had been completely redone for the Ball, with many different Christmas trees and various decorations, as well as some round tables and chairs to sit on, and a wide open space in front of a stage. The six of them sat down at one of the tables.

"I heard that you were spending the holidays at Malfoy Manor", Millicent said to Harry.

"Yes, I am", Harry replied, having noticed Ron and Hermione nearby out of the corner of his eye. When Draco tensed slightly beside him, he realised that his boyfriend had also noticed the two Gryffindors, as well as the fact that they were now coming over.

"You're spending the holidays with him?" Ron practically spat at Harry. Harry sighed, standing up.

"Yes, I am spending the holidays with Draco and his mother. I believe there are even plans to go away for a few days. Is there a problem with that?"

"Wouldn't you rather stay here with us?" Hermione asked gently, as if she was expecting Harry to shout at her –  _or perhaps_ , Harry said to himself,  _because they're trying to play some sort of good cop-bad cop situation._

"Actually, no, I think I'd rather be with my boyfriend...in his house...in his bed...for Christmas...", Harry trailed off, making it clear to everyone there what he was referring to.

"Harry, don't talk about that sort of thing in public", Draco said to him.

"Sorry", Harry apologised, leaning down to give Draco a quick kiss.

"We know you did something to him", Ron said, levelling his glare on Draco now. "Not permanent then? He has to go with you so you can renew it or something?" Draco sighed, as he stood up beside his boyfriend.

"I haven't done anything to force Harry to be with me, but if you really insist on talking about what I do to him –"

"We understand", Hermione interrupted him.

"Do you? Because your repeated attempts to confront us don't exactly make it seem like you understand", Draco pointed out.

"Harry", Hermione began, reaching out and tugging on Harry's arm, walking him away from the others, "you do know that Ginny likes you, right? I think she was planning on getting up the courage to ask you out over the holidays, and we were planning a party on Christmas Eve in the common room..."

"With or without Draco, I'm gay, so I wouldn't date Ginny", Harry replied. "Sorry, but that's just the way it is. If you can't accept that, then either you think I'm stupid or you aren't my friends. I hope you enjoy the party, but I'm still leaving for the holidays." With that, he turned on his heel and went back over to the table. "Would you like to dance?" he asked Draco. The blond nodded in reply, and Harry led him out onto the dance floor, just as a slow song started. They wrapped their arms around each other, Harry leaning his head on Draco's shoulder, as they swayed to the music rather than danced to it.

"Everything okay?" Draco asked Harry softly.

"Just trying to get me away from you, and with Ginny apparently, although it wasn't clear whether or not Ginny herself was involved. Anyway, how about we just dance for a while – whatever everyone here thinks, I don't know how much time we'll get over the holidays, Christmas isn't a holiday celebrated in Konoha."

"No time off at all?" Draco asked.

"I asked for the actual day off, and Naruto did mention once that there were things happening around the New Year, but Sasuke, Suigetsu and I have to do some missions as a team before the summer, and I only really have this holiday and Easter before then."

"I guess", Draco agreed, gripping Harry tighter in his arms as the two of them continued just moving to the music.

As the night continued, Harry and Draco managed to avoid Ron and Hermione, although this was – at least in part – because Hermione seemed to be trying to get Harry to agree with her, and was therefore keeping Ron from going over to Harry. Although Harry also thought it might have something to do with Snape, who had spoken to Ron and Hermione while Harry and Draco were on the dance floor, and while Harry hadn't caught any of the conversation, he knew how much Snape enjoyed making Gryffindors squirm, as he had also spent much of the evening watching Remus, presumably glaring at him. As people started trickling out of the Great Hall and returning to their dorms, Harry and Draco did the same, returning to Draco's dorm.

Harry flopped onto Draco's bed, yawning softly.

"Tired?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. Are we all packed?"

"Yep, everything we want is in my trunk and our backpacks, then some more things in your trunk which we won't need for Konoha but may need if we really were staying here, as well as some things for the few days after we return."

"That's good. We'll be appearing inside the Uchiha district, so we won't have to go that far after we get there in order to get into the house. Where's everyone else anyway?"

"Pansy and Theo went up to the Room of Requirement, they'll probably be there all night. Blaise is going to sleep in Millicent's dorm, so he'll probably be out all night as well."

"I guess guys not being able to go into the girls' dorms is only a Gryffindor thing", Harry commented, stretching out his arms and legs.

"Yeah", Draco said, not paying attention the conversation as he instead opted to stare at Harry, splayed out on Draco's bed.

"Like what you see?" Harry asked, tiredness etched in his voice.

"Always", Draco replied truthfully. "But I think you need to sleep."

"You're probably right...besides, we're leaving via Snape's Floo tomorrow afternoon, and we're all packed, so sex in the morning?" Harry asked. Draco shook his head at him, moving over to pull of Harry's shoes.

"Only after Theo and Blaise have come and gone, they haven't finished packing and they're both leaving tomorrow, but they have to be in the Entrance Hall at ten, so..." Draco trailed off, slipping out of his dress robes and folding them over a chair, pulling on his pyjamas in their place.

"So lie in, then sex, then Konoha?" Harry suggested, wiggling around until he was out of his dress robes, although the garments were still bunched up at the foot of the bed.

"Or you could stop thinking about sex constantly", Draco considered, picking up Harry's dress robes and placing them with his own, tossing some pyjamas to Harry. "You brought those down here to wear, right?"

"Yes, I did – so you see, I don't always think about sex!"

"Yeah, whatever you say", Draco retorted sarcastically, slipping under the covers of his bed. Harry pulled on the pyjamas, still lying on the bed, and also manoeuvred himself so that he was under the covers. He let Draco pull him into a tight hug in the single-person bed, nuzzling his head under Draco's chin.

"Goodnight", Harry whispered into Draco's neck.

"'Night", Draco replied, as the lights in the room extinguished themselves.

* * *

It was already dark in Konoha when Draco and Harry arrived via portkey. They had travelled directly into the Uchiha district, and Harry looked around for a moment to get his bearings before leading Draco over to the main house and inside. Harry performed the jutsu allowing him to speak Japanese, as he wasn't yet fluent, and also did it on Draco, just as Naruto entered the room.

"Hi", Naruto said softly, sitting down at the table.

"Hey, are you okay?" Harry asked, sitting down as well. Draco sat down beside him.

"Yeah, just missing Sasuke."

"Is he still on that mission?"

"Yeah, and I have no idea when he'll be back", Naruto replied.

"Don't worry, he'll be back as soon as he can – it's not like he wants to miss you giving birth, now is it?" Harry asked.

"What if he doesn't want to see how fat I am?" Naruto asked.

"You're not fat, you're pregnant", Harry pointed out.

"And if it bothers him so much you can always hit him", Draco suggested.

"That's a good idea actually", Naruto said, his mood suddenly changing as a Uchiha-like smirk settled on his face.

"Okay...so what about my missions?" Harry asked.

"Well, Suigetsu is with him, so you'll have to wait for team missions until they get back, but you can do D-rank missions around the village on your own", Naruto responded. "I've also made sure that you have this Wednesday off", he added.

"Okay, thanks", Harry said.

"And I know you said we didn't have to do anything here, but as Sasuke is gone and everyone else will be busy, you guys can come here and do stuff on Wednesday, you know, if you want?"

"Well, it's probably easier to do lunch here", Draco said. "That is if we can get the things for a British Christmas dinner in Konoha."

"Yeah, it's not like I brought stuff with me", Harry said with fake innocence.

"You brought food?" Draco asked in surprise, as he hadn't seen anything in the trunk that they'd brought.

"Just stuff for Christmas that I knew we couldn't get here, it's all in some boxes inside the trunk, being kept cool with spells and shrunk so you wouldn't notice it."

"Well, at least we know we can have a proper dinner then", Draco pointed out.

"There's easily enough for four people, so how about I do it for the three of us?" Harry suggested.

"Or five of us", Naruto commented.

"It's twins?" Harry asked. "I thought you were going to wait to find out?"

"We were – we are – but I've agreed with Sasuke that the first child is a Uchiha and the second an Uzumaki, and if it's not twins then I don't get a child with my surname – and I am not going through this again."

"Well, we have presents for the baby – or babies", Harry stated.

"Harry –" Naruto began.

"It's fine, besides, I don't know if I'll be here when it happens – I know I'm back for the Easter holidays, but you might be early, or late..."

"That's fine, I got stuff for you both anyway", Naruto shrugged. "I know you said I didn't have to, but I wanted to."

"That's okay, and maybe Harry brought a tree as well", Draco commented.

"Oh, shut up", Harry replied good-naturedly, elbowing Draco. "Besides, there are loads of trees here..." Draco merely groaned in reply, and Naruto smiled to himself at their banter, although it was clear that behind the smile he was missing his boyfriend.

"Besides, if you want presents, what about a baby shower?" Draco asked.

"A what?"

"It's a thing in Britain where people buy presents for the baby before it's born – it's basically an excuse for the parents to ask for things for the baby rather than buying the stuff for themselves."

"Well, I'm the Hokage, so I do make quite a bit of money, and Sasuke has the Uchiha money after all, which I imagine is a lot if you take into account the size of his clan, before...well, you know, that."

"So are you ready then?" Harry asked. "Even if it is twins?"

"Well, everyone else has moved out, like I told you in a letter a while ago, so this whole house is just for me and Sasuke – when he's here – so we can easily make one of the bedrooms near ours into the room for the baby – or babies. I wanted to wait for Sasuke to come back, but I really don't know how long he'll be, so perhaps I should start looking for things?"

"You may as well", Harry shrugged, before yawning. "Sorry, portkeys still tire me out", he apologised.

"It's fine, I was going to bed soon anyway", Naruto said, standing up. "Ow!" he said, loudly, falling back into the chair and grabbing at his round stomach.

"What is it?" Harry asked in concern.

"Nothing, just kicks, it happens a lot", Naruto shrugged.

"Should it really hurt that much?" Draco asked.

"I don't know", Naruto admitted. "I don't want to know how many or what gender the babies are until it happens, so I haven't actually had a scan or anything."

"Why don't you just have a scan and ask Tsunade-sama not to tell you?" Harry suggested.

"I can't, if I know that she knows then I'll want to know...although, it would be punishment for Sasuke leaving me, if I knew before he did..."

"Come on then", Harry said, tiredness forgotten as he helped Naruto stand up. "It might be better if you stay here", Harry said to Draco. "No offence, but –"

"It's fine, no-one knows me, which house is yours?" Draco asked Harry, as he opened the door for Harry and Naruto.

"The one over there", Naruto indicated to Draco.

"Okay, I'll see you soon", Draco replied, taking their things over to the other house.

It took a while for Naruto and Harry to walk through Konoha to the hospital, partly as the Uchiha district was so far away from the hospital, and partly as Naruto was moving slowly, but they finally made it, and Naruto had Harry help him to Tsunade's office, knowing that she would be there that evening. It didn't take long for Naruto to explain to Tsunade what was going on, and Harry waited outside the room while Naruto had his scan.

"It looks like they're okay", Tsunade muttered to herself, looking at the monitor.

"They? Definitely twins then?" Naruto asked. "I agreed that the first could be a Uchiha and the second an Uzumaki, so I want twins."

"Naruto – er...do you really want me to tell you?" Tsunade asked unsurely.

"Yes – I know we were going to wait, but I know that you know, so tell me!"

"Well – er..." Tsunade muttered uncomfortably. She sighed before turning the monitor so Naruto could see it. "Well, this here is a boy...and a girl...and a boy..."

"Three!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's triplets, two boys and a girl", Tsunade stated.

"But...but...I only wanted two for my surname, I didn't want to go through all this again just so I could have a child with my surname...I still don't know how we're going to do this...are you sure there's three in me?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm sure", Tsunade replied.

"But, perhaps they're just good at the Shadow Clone jutsu, like me", Naruto said.

"Er – Naruto, that's not quite how it works..." Tsunade trailed off.

"Okay, well I guess we'll see when they're born", Naruto said. "And perhaps it'll just be two, a boy and a girl, then the boy can take after me and have my surname because he made a Shadow Clone before he was born."

"Yeah, okay...do you want a picture?" Tsunade asked. Naruto nodded, although she wasn't sure if he'd fully registered the question as she printed off copies of the scan, and offered Naruto a cloth to clean off his round belly. "Do you want me to let Harry in?" she asked. Naruto nodded again, so she went to the door.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked Tsunade.

"Yes, he's fine, the force of the kicks was actually not that hard for an Uzumaki, Kushina had it that bad from Naruto, so..."

"Naruto?" Harry asked.

"She says there's three in me", Naruto said to Harry.

"Well, triplets isn't so bad...besides, then you can make Sasuke let you give your name to the third one, so they'll be more Uzumakis than Uchihas", Harry comforted him.

"I guess, but when I give birth I still think it'll be twins and one was just a Shadow Clone, otherwise three of them have to come out without me being in a lot of pain", Naruto stated.

"Naruto, it'll be done by C-section, as there's nowhere that they can really come out", Tsunade stated gently. "When you go into labour, you'll have a C-section, so it'll be a lot less painful than for most people."

"You still have to cut me open to get them out", Naruto pointed out. "Although, I've probably had worse injuries on missions, and there wasn't any anasthesia there...and I still think it's twins..."

"Precisely, so stop worrying, everything will be fine", Tsunade said. "Why don't you go home and rest, and think about names. And I'm sure Sasuke will get back as quick as he can – they may be after Kisame, but Sasuke is hardly going to dawdle, is he?" she added, ignoring Naruto's apparent self-delusion about the triplets – or twins as he was still insisting.

"No, I guess not", Naruto replied cheerfully. Tsunade and Harry tried to avoid seeming taken aback by his sudden mood change, as Naruto carefully got up from the bed. "Shall we go then?" he asked Harry. Harry nodded, trying to avoid showing surprise at Naruto's abrupt mood change, before they both thanked Tsunade and left the hospital.

The two of them walked back through Konoha, still moving fairly slowly.  _I guess that explains why I'm getting so big,_ Naruto thought to himself.  _One of them must be making shadow clones, which is why it hurts so much and why they think there's three – as if we could handle triplets, I still don't think we can handle twins, but I want one to have my surname. As for other names, I think we should name the girl after my mother and the boy after Sasuke's brother, then the Uzumaki baby will be really good at the Shadow Clone jutsu, like me...There's no way there's three, although I do have an idea for a third name from my side, which would make the other boy a Uchiha...no! It's twins, one's a Shadow Clone, I'm not figuring out how to handle three...or at least, I'm not until I learn that jutsu, the one that will make sure Sasuke gets pregnant...I remember hearing Tsunade mention that it doesn't matter who does it, the uke gets pregnant, so I can do the jutsu and then convince Sasuke to let me be on top...I'll have to wait until after these two are born, and while three babies is a lot, I don't want too much time between them...perhaps after the chunin exams in the summer?_  Naruto continued thinking along these lines as he and Harry returned to the Uchiha district, said goodnight, and went to bed, with Naruto continuing to plot against Sasuke as he lay in their bed, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Near the Konoha border, Sasuke, Sai, Suigetsu and Kakashi were still following Kisame. They were now around two days behind him, thanks to information they managed to get from various inns and bars, mostly thanks to Sasuke:

"Shouldn't you care that you're flirting with other people?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke, as they moved through the trees.

"Hn."

"He has a point, you have been flirting in order to get this information", Sai agreed.

"Yeah, and it'll probably have to be included in the official report, and Naruto is the Hokage..." Suigetsu trailed off.

"Not to mention any bad moods from pregnancy", Sai added.

"Although, I suppose Harry is back for his winter holidays from school, so Naruto won't be too lonely without you", Suigetsu pointed out.

"Harry and Naruto aren't going to do anything", Sasuke stated evenly.

"You seem very sure about that", Suigetsu teased.

"How can you be so sure unless you and Harry are having sex?" Sai asked.

"Harry isn't doing anything with either of us."

"Well, not now, but with Naruto all lonely..." Suigetsu said thoughtfully.

"Shut up", Sasuke responded, before moving ahead of them to catch up with Kakashi, who was in the front.

"Something must be going on then", Suigetsu stated, loud enough for Sasuke and Kakashi to hear.

"Everything okay?" Kakashi asked Sasuke quietly.

"Hn."

"If it helps, I believe you."

"Hn."

"You see, I remembered something...I always thought Minato-sensei got pregnant, but I was never certain, and I never heard anything about a baby..." If Kakashi hadn't been Sasuke's sensei for some time, he may have missed the slight tensing in the muscles as Sasuke reacted to the information – but not in a way that suggested it was new information for him.

"Harry seems like a good person, and I'm sure Naruto will be fine with being alone, he understands how important this mission is, for his own safety as well, as one of the remaining jinchuriki", Kakashi pointed out, before jumping down onto a path. The others landed around him.

"What's up?" Suigetsu asked.

"As far as we know, Hoshigaki Kisame is still a member of the Akatsuki. He's moving away from the village, so he can't be after Naruto."

"You think the Akatsuki are still after the jinchuriki?" Sai asked.

"There may only be a few Akatsuki left, but I don't think they'd stop just because they're down so many members", Kakashi replied.

"Who else is left?" Suigetsu asked.

"Only the Lightning village's jinchuriki", Kakashi stated.

"We're close to the border with the Land of Hot Water, beyond that is the Land of Frost then the Land of Lightning, can we catch up before he gets to their country?" Sai asked.

"I'm not sure", Kakashi mused. "It's getting dark, we should stop for the night, and there's a village a little way ahead, it's basically on the border. We can stay there and also find out if Hoshigaki crossed the border." The other three nodded their agreement, and Kakashi set off again, leading the way through the trees to the nearby village.

Once they arrived, they found an inn to stay at, deciding to ask questions the following morning to determine if Kisame was heading for the Lightning. Kakashi also sent a message to Tsunade, as they would need permission to cross the border, and also so she could consider sending a warning message to the Lightning village's jinchuriki.

* * *

Draco woke up on Christmas morning, feeling little shoots of pleasure running through him. He stretched his arms and legs and groaned as he realised that Harry had his head between Draco's legs under the covers.

"Morning", Harry said, pulling back to speak before returning his mouth to Draco's cock, swallowing him whole and sucking harshly.

"Fuck", Draco swore, as he tangled his hand in Harry's hair and rolled his hips into Harry's mouth. Harry sucked him harshly, bobbing his head as much as he could with Draco's hand holding him in place. It wasn't long before Draco tensed up and came into Harry's waiting mouth, the other man swallowing it all down before sliding up Draco's body to kiss him.

"Merry Christmas", Harry said.

"Nice way to wake up", Draco pointed out. "But what about you?"

"I think you need a shower to get rid of all those dirty thoughts", Harry teased, getting up from the bed and heading towards the bathroom. Draco stayed in bed for a moment, before Harry continued speaking, calling from the bathroom: "Are you going to join me or not?" Draco pulled the covers back and quickly crossed the bedroom and entered the bathroom to join his boyfriend for a morning bath – and more.

After they had gotten cleaned up, which took over an hour as they were both going slow and enjoying their lazy morning, Harry and Draco got dressed and headed over to the main house. It was almost 11am by this point, so they weren't surprised to find Naruto already up and drinking tea in the kitchen.

"Good morning", Harry greeted him.

"Certainly was for you", Naruto stated.

"You heard?" Draco asked, blushing red.

"Jinchuriki hearing", Naruto replied. Draco looked at Harry for an explanation:

"He heard", Harry said.

"Oh", Draco responded, suddenly finding his feet very interesting.

"It's fine, it's not like I've never had sex, how do you think I ended up with these two in me?" Naruto pointed out.

"It's still kind of embarrassing", Draco replied. "And I thought it was triplets?" he asked, sitting down at the table. Harry sat down beside him as Naruto sighed:

"It is not triplets, it's twins and one of them is good at the Shadow Clone jutsu – why won't anyone believe that?"

"Naruto", Harry began, speaking gently, "how did the baby do the jutsu from inside you? He would need to make hand signs."

"Babies move, and these two definitely move a lot."

"What about chakra?" Draco asked.

"No, they can have that before they're born", Harry stated. "But who taught the unborn baby how to do the jutsu?"

"Er – instinct?" Naruto suggested.

"Naruto..." Harry tried again.

"It's not going to work, there are ways – there must be – so it's only twins, not triplets, okay?"

"Er – okay then", Harry agreed, deciding it was best not to argue any further.

"Anyway, Happy Christmas", Naruto said. "Is that right?"

"Yeah, that's fine", Draco responded. "So, as it's already 11am, perhaps we should get started on lunch?"

"Feel free to use anything in here", Naruto said, indicating the kitchen cupboards. "I have to look through some paperwork for Tsunade-baa-chan – I guess just because I'm pregnant and stuck here doesn't mean the paperwork stops, ne?"

"I guess not", Draco smiled, as Naruto pulled himself to his feet and went into the living room, which Draco and he had decorated the previous day. As the kitchen door closed, Draco noticed the pile of presents under the tree seemed larger than the previous day.

"Looks like there are more presents since yesterday", Draco commented, as he and Harry walked over to the kitchen counter and started getting out food and cooking utensils.

"Well, as Konoha doesn't have Christmas, the shops would still be open today, and it's Wednesday so there's no reason for the opening hours to be shorter."

"I guess", Draco agreed, as the two of them set about preparing Christmas lunch.

It took a few hours for them to cook everything up, and Draco was glad Naruto had let them do it there, as the kitchen in Harry's house wasn't as large – and only had one oven. Naruto came back in just as they were setting down the various foods on the tables.

"Looks good", Naruto commented. "But you may have to tell me what some of the things are."

"Well, before we eat, we have to pull these", Draco said, picking up a Christmas cracker.

"What for?" Naruto asked.

"It's just a Christmas thing, they make a little bang and then there's a paper hat inside which you wear while you eat, a joke and some sort of prize – the jokes and prizes aren't normally that amazing, but it's just a tradition", Draco explained, as he and Harry sat down. "Like this", he added, as he and Harry picked up a cracker each and held one end of each cracker, their arms crossing in the middle. They pulled on the crackers until they popped, both of them ending up with one of the larger ends. Harry pulled out the contents of his while Draco picked up another cracker and pulled it with Naruto, the blond shinobi ending up with the larger end.

"I'm not sure about this", Naruto said, looking at the bright green hat.

"Want to switch?" Harry asked, handing over the orange paper hat. Naruto nodded, and switched with him. "Better?" Harry asked.

"It's a better colour", Naruto said, folding his arms defensively. "Now, what about the food?"

"Well, there's turkey with stuffing inside, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, peas, carrots, cabbage, brussel sprouts", Draco listed, pointing at the various items. "There's cranberry sauce, which some people put on turkey, and gravy, which you pour on top of it all when you're done." Naruto nodded in reply, and all three of them started filling their plates and eating.

After a while, when they were all stuffed, the three of them all leaned back in their chairs.

"If only there was a jutsu for doing dishes", Nauto complained.

"No jutsu, but do you mind magic?" Draco asked.

"Go ahead", Naruto said, and Draco waved his wand, the empty dishes and used cutlery floating over to the sink and starting to wash themselves, while the dishes with leftover foodstuffs levitated over to the counter. Harry joined in, magically getting out containers and putting away the leftovers into the containers and then into the fridge, before the now empty dishes joined the rest of the dirty items in the sink.

"Much better than getting up", Harry stated.

"Yeah, but it'd probably be more comfortable in the living room", Naruto pointed out. "I don't suppose you could float us in there too?"

"No, we have to get up for that", Draco replied.

"Or collapse to the floor and roll there", Harry suggested. Naruto and Draco looked at him for a moment before they both pulled themselves to their feet and slowly walked into the living room. "It was only a suggestion", Harry grumbled under his breath, before following them.

"Presents?" Draco asked, as Harry joined them.

"No, I need to rest", Harry responded, as he flopped onto the couch beside his boyfriend. Naruto was sitting in a comfortable armchair, while the other two snuggled on the couch,

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Naruto suggested. "Then afterwards we should be able to move again well enough to open presents?"

"Sure" Draco agreed, and Harry nodded as well, waving his arm to magically lift up some movie options from the cupboard near the television. They decided to watch one of the instalments of  _The Adventures of Princess Fūn_.

After the movie had ended, Harry got up to check on the dishes in the kitchen, leaving Draco and Naruto to their discussion of the movie. He put away the dishes by hand, before returning into the living room to find that Naruto had pulled his chair towards the tree he and Draco had set up the previous day. Harry still wondered how they had been able to find a Christmas tree in Konoha, but he suspected it was just a random tree which they had made look like a typical Christmas tree. Draco was sitting on the floor sorting through the wrapped boxes as Harry sat down beside him.

"Couldn't even wait for me to finish putting away the dishes?" he teased Draco.

"But...presents", Draco said childishly. Harry smiled at him, before picking up one and handing it to Naruto.

"For the babies", Naruto read from the tag.

"Yeah, we figured we'd get something for them as well", Harry pointed out. "Sorry about the tag, I wrote 'for the baby' when I wrapped it and had to try to change it."

"It's fine", Naruto said, as he pulled off the paper and opened the box. Inside were various clothes items, some pink and some blue, as well as some blankets.

"In Britain it's generally pink for girls and blue for boys", Draco explained. "We got both as we didn't know, and a lot because Harry likes children, so there should be enough for all – er – both of them."

"Thanks", Naruto replied softly. Harry and Draco shared a look, both hoping that he wasn't going to start crying, as they didn't really know how to deal with a sad Naruto – especially Harry, who had been with Naruto for the whole summer before the blond's mood swings had started, and was therefore used to the blond always being happy and upbeat.

It took a while for them to open all the presents, and some were left under the tree as Harry started cleaning up all the paper and empty boxes. They had gotten some gardening tools and tomato plants for Naruto as they had heard about his garden. Naruto had gotten them both books, on combat magic for Draco and some stuff about the Sharingan for Harry, although he had pointed out that it could be considered from Sasuke, as it came from the Uchiha clan's library. Harry had bought some books on weapons for Draco, who had mentioned that he wanted to know more about that sort of combat, while Draco had gotten Harry a sweater, pointing out that he probably wouldn't be getting one from the Weasleys that year. Draco had also bought some snake treats, knowing that Maia would turn up at some point, and was currently feeding her some while talking to her in the living room. Under the tree were a couple of still-wrapped boxes, which Harry had told Naruto were for Sasuke, as they didn't know that he would be on a mission. Harry had also mentioned to Draco that there was another present in their bedroom in the other house, and he knew that his boyfriend would figure out why he hadn't put it under the tree.

As Naruto lay in bed that night, he smiled to himself.  _I think I like this holiday, and I'm glad they're okay with using magic around me_ he said to himself, as he rolled onto his side. He was glad that the two wizards had put up silencing charms around their bedroom, as he had realised that the other present Harry had mentioned was clearly something like sex toys.  _Overall, it's been a good day, although, I wish Sasuke had been here...oh well, I'm sure he won't be much longer..._

* * *

**Next Chapter - New Year, Harry and Draco return to school, and Valentine's Day!**


	10. New Year

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

In Konoha, Harry, Draco and Naruto were slowly making their way up to the top of the Hokage monument. It was New Year's Eve, and the fireworks would be starting soon. The three of them had decided to avoid the noise in the streets below and get a little further from the fireworks by going up to the top of the monument to watch them. When they reached the top, Harry helped Naruto sit down on a blanket on the Yondaime's head, then set down a second blanket for himself and Draco. Soon, Neji, Hinata, Ino and Shikamaru joined them, and they all sat down together to watch the fireworks.

Naruto leaned back slightly, getting comfortable as the babies jostled against each other inside him. He rubbed his stomach soothingly, and muttered:

"Yeah, I miss him too."

Although the others heard him, they decided it was better to ignore the comment, as there would be nothing which made Naruto feel better about Sasuke's absence. Even though he had only been gone a couple of weeks, they knew he would be gone much longer. A recent message Tsunade had received revealed that Sasuke's team was stuck in a village on the outskirts of Konoha due to the New Year's festivals taking place everywhere, and would also have to cross the border to head after Kisame, who seemed to be travelling towards the Land of Lightning.

As the countdown started, Draco leaned into Harry's arms.

"Going to kiss me at midnight then?" he asked Harry teasingly.

"Why would he do that?" Ino asked.

"It's a British thing, you're supposed to kiss someone at midnight at New Year", Harry explained, as the countdown started below them, loud enough that they could hear it even from the top of the monument. As the countdown reached zero, Draco leaned against Harry and pressed his lips against him, chastely but still pressing himself hard against Harry. Next to them, Ino kissed Shikamaru, decidedly less chastely, while Neji kissed Hinata on the cheek. Only Naruto was left with no-one.

"We probably should have mentioned that it's more of a lovers thing than a friends thing", Harry said, looking at Neji and Hinata.

"What do you mean?" Ino asked.

"The idea is that whoever you kiss at midnight you will be with for the rest of the year", Draco stated.

"O-oh", Hinata stammered, blushing slightly.

"Well, who else would she be with?" Neji asked. "They'd have to prove that they deserved her after all." Hinata's blush only intensified at Neji's protective words, while Naruto shuffled uncomfortably, glad that Hinata wasn't still in love with him – or at least he assumed she wasn't.

"I guess we should warn whoever you like then", Ino mused.

"I-Ino-san, I...I d-don't...ano..." Hinata stuttered.

"It's fine, it's not like I want you to tell me in front of everyone...and Sakura isn't here either...at some point we can get together and find a way to get whoever he is to go out with you", Ino said, somewhat dismissively.

"O-ok", Hinata agreed, nervous about what would happen when Neji did find out who she liked. Deciding to change the subject, she looked to Naruto: "Naruto-sama, how is S-Sasuke-san doing?"

"He's about to cross the border, their team is just stuck at the moment, as the New Year festivals mean everywhere is busy – they couldn't leave the inn as the next village would have nowhere to stay, so they've been there for around a week, then they've got to cross into the Land of Hot Water after the Akatsuki member. He's probably heading to the Lightning, so hopefully they'll catch up with him before he gets there."

"How far is that?" Harry asked.

"A month away", Naruto sighed. "And I really do miss him..."

On the Konoha border, Sasuke was sitting in a tree on the edge of the village. He was half-watching the fireworks while he thought about Naruto in Konoha.  _At least Harry and Draco are there, but at this rate I may even end up missing the birth of my child,_  Sasuke said to himself.

"Thinking about Naruto?" he heard from below him, before the person jumped up to sit on the tree branch beside him.

"Hn", was Sasuke's only reply, as the grey-haired jounin sat down beside him and pulled one of his books out from a pocket of his flak jacket.

"About Harry..."

"Remember what happened back at Hogwarts when you asked me questions I didn't want to answer?" Sasuke said, half-threateningly as he reminded Kakashi of the mess he and Naruto left in Kakashi's bed when Kakashi was trying to figure out why Sasuke had returned to the village.

"When Minato-sensei was pregnant, he had to hide it. He managed it fairly well, by using genjutsu to hide it, although it was easy to figure it out when you were around him a lot."

"Your point?"

"He hid it due to the Elders, he knew they wouldn't like the idea of a Hokage being with a Uchiha. And you're a little worse than just any Uchiha, as you actually did go against the village, whereas at least when Minato-sensei was pregnant the Uchiha clan were still seen as loyal, if disliked. You and Naruto can't hide it now, but you must realise what the Elders are saying, along with the head of the Root..."

"I'm using Naruto to build my own personal army?"

"Yeah", Kakashi agreed, turning a page in his book. Sasuke considered glaring at the man who was reading porn during such a serious conversation, but knew that Kakashi would probably only find his glare amusing.

"I know they don't like me, but it's not like we can hide it now. You should talk to Naruto about this, perhaps he can do something as the Rokudaime. Otherwise, just leave me alone", Sasuke said, jumping down from the tree and heading back for the inn where they were staying, the fireworks still exploding over his head.

In the Leaf Village, the fireworks carried on exploding as Naruto wondered how Sasuke was doing. The babies kicked at him again, and Naruto rubbed at his stomach absent-mindedly, thinking about his and Sasuke's future, just as his boyfriend was doing the same.

* * *

Sasuke sighed to himself.  _I will not sigh out loud, I am a Uchiha,_ he reminded himself. They had been forced to stop in the inn for some time due to the New Year's festivals, and unfortunately Kisame hadn't apparently done the same. That meant that their team was now a week behind Kisame as they headed into the Land of Hot Water. Sasuke also didn't appreciate that all the information they needed was being gathered from barmaids and other random women who only wanted to speak to him. Although he was used to girls always going after him, it was still annoying, and only served to repeatedly remind him that Naruto was back in Konoha, not to mention that he was due in four months, and if Sasuke missed the birth of his children...

Ahead of him, Sai and Kakashi were discussing Yugakure, the former hidden village of the country. Suigetsu was mostly keeping quiet, which Sasuke was thankful for, and he also hoped that Suigetsu was missing Karin, just so he wasn't the only one.

"He's almost certainly going to the Land of Lightning", Kakashi said, stopping walking.

"What's your point?" Sasuke asked irritably.

"If he's a week ahead he's probably already crossed into the Land of Frost", Kakashi pointed out. "We'll have to get more supplies before we cross the border again, and we'll have to send another message to Tsunade-sama – depending on the current political situation, we may have to go to the Lightning Village first and liaise with them." Sasuke grit his teeth at that, still wanting to get back to Konoha...

In the Uchiha district, Naruto sank deeper into the bathwater, letting it come up to his nose. He rubbed his belly under the water, feeling the babies moving inside him. He sat down on the side of the bath, still mostly under the water, and took a deep breath.

"I miss him too", Naruto said, rubbing his stomach. "I'm sure he won't miss your birth – he better not – and he'll be around a lot after that. He'll have to do missions with Suigetsu and Harry, and Harry's only a genin – and unlike them he's only at that level, at least for now. He'll learn the Rinnegan and achieve the higher ranks pretty quickly, but it depends on what happens in Britain, if he comes here or stays there after school..." he trailed off, thinking about everything that had happened. Harry and Draco had left earlier that day. While Harry had been there, he had completed 7 D-rank missions, added to the 16 he did over the summer while Kakashi was training him...it was more than enough to enter the chunin exams, but Naruto and Tsunade had wanted him to do team missions, and Naruto was due during Harry's Easter holidays. Naruto started as the babies kicked him hard.

"I know, that's when you get to be born", Naruto spoke again, still talking to his unborn children. "Beginning of April, that'll be around the right time for Harry to be here. And as for your younger sibling when I get Sasuke pregnant, he or she will be around a year younger than you, okay?" The babies kicked again, which Naruto took to mean that they were agreeing with him, as he allowed the warm water to soak into him, relaxing him.

* * *

On the first Saturday of the new year, Harry and Draco sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, heading back to school after the Christmas holidays. Many people from their year had stayed at school that year, so they found themselves alone in the compartment, Harry lying down on the seat with his head in Draco's lap, as the blond carded his fingers through dark hair.

"You okay?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine", Harry replied. "Just thinking about everything that's happened over the last few days."

"You knew who would win and what would happen afterwards", Draco reminded him.

"I know", Harry sighed.

**_When Harry and Draco had returned to Malfoy Manor on Thursday morning, Narcissa greeted them and handed them the paper from earlier that day, announcing the election results – that Fudge had won. Harry also received a letter inviting himself and Draco to a party to celebrate the results the following evening. Fortunately, they had expected this and had brought back appropriate clothes with them from school, although they had left them at Malfoy Manor, knowing they wouldn't need anything so formal in Konoha._ **

**_On Friday night, as they attended the party, Harry found himself practically pounced on by Fudge, who insisted on introducing him to many different people. He also reminded Harry about the position of his advisor, which he still wanted Harry to accept. Harry made a show of humbly refusing, but allowed himself to (supposedly) be talked into it by the Minister, with the additional promise that it would be kept secret._ **

**_As Harry and Draco were leaving the manor where the party was being held, they found themselves being stopped:_ **

**_"Leaving already?" a voice enquired slyly from just outside the main entrance to the manor._ **

**_"Good evening Professor, or should I say Lord Prince?" Harry greeted Snape._ **

**_"Thanks to you, I assume?" Snape asked, looking at Harry._ **

**_"Can't hurt to have people loyal to me around, and it's not like you deserve to be treated like a criminal by Dumbledore, the very person vehemently denying that you were ever evil."_ **

**_"I suppose you are correct", Snape relented. "Are you leaving then?"_ **

**_"Yeah, I think Fudge has already introduced me to everyone here and then some", Harry sighed. "Besides, we have to get up early for the train back to school tomorrow, so..."_ **

**_"Very well then, I will see you in class on Monday."_ **

**_"Professor, how is Dumbledore?" Draco asked._ **

**_"Oh yeah, that curse", Harry remembered._ **

**_"He is still worsening, and there is still no cure", Snape answered. "I expect he will die within the next few months, and certainly before the end of this academic year."_ **

**_"We should watch that he doesn't try anything to make himself immortal", Draco pointed out._ **

**_"Do you think he would?" Harry asked. "No, never mind, of course he would, especially now Shacklebolt has lost, he'll think it's necessary to make sure the country survives."_ **

**_"I will keep a close eye on him", Snape stated._ **

**_"Thank you", Harry said. "But for now, we really should be going, enjoy the rest of your evening."_ **

**_"You too", Snape said knowingly, before entering the manor, leaving the two young men blushing slightly at the implications of his statement._ **

"I still can't believe Snape would say something like that", Draco said, still playing with Harry's hair, the dark head still resting in his lap as the English countryside whizzed past the window.

"It's not like he doesn't know what we're up to", Harry pointed out.

"I know, I'm just waiting for him to offer us contraceptives or something", Draco groaned.

"What for?" Harry asked.

"Well, what are they usually for?"

"But we're both guys."

"Yeah, but we're wizards, so..."

"You're saying that all this time we risked getting pregnant?"

"Well, no, I used contraceptive charms on myself, didn't you?" Draco asked.

"I didn't know I needed to", Harry said, sitting up abruptly and turning to sit beside Draco.

"Well, at least you know now", Draco said helpfully. Harry glared at him slightly before sighing to himself.

"Yeah, I guess I should have realised anyway, Naruto's pregnant and I'm a shinobi, so I could still get pregnant from that..."

"I'll teach you the charms when we're back at school", Draco offered.

"Thanks."

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, before Harry spoke again:

"If we had gotten pregnant –"

"I do want kids with you some day, but not until we graduate and you're sure about what you're doing with your life, given that you're part of both worlds now", Draco said, interrupting Harry before he could go any further with that particular train of thought.

"That's probably best", Harry agreed. "And I will figure it out, I just wish there was a way for me to stay in both worlds, not have to pick one."

"Well, try talking to your brothers at Easter or in the summer, maybe there is a way", Draco suggested. Harry nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, and you still haven't done any of your Christmas homework", Draco pointed out.

"Crap", Harry swore, as Draco handed him some books. "Wait – when did you do yours?"

"In Konoha, while you were on missions."

"I thought you were with Naruto?"

"Yeah, but he had work to do as well, so we just worked together – to be honest, I think he was just glad for the company."

"Probably, I hope Sasuke isn't much longer, it sounded like he'd end up some distance away just to find the person they're looking for, and then they have to get back to Konoha after that..."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, he won't be any longer than necessary, not with Naruto pregnant."

"I know", Harry said. "I just worry about them."

"They're your brothers, you're allowed to", Draco reminded him. Harry kissed him briefly.

"Thanks", he said, before turning to his homework, hoping that he would have enough time to finish it all before classes started again. As Harry activated his Sharingan so that the work would go faster, Draco smiled, although the smile hid his feelings a little, as he realised that, if forced to choose, Harry would go to the shinobi world.  _He uses his powers all the time,_ Draco thought to himself.  _I know he has to learn how to control them, but still, I think he would go there, if he really had to choose...I hope there is a way he can live in both worlds, as I don't think Konoha is my place, and I don't want to lose him – but I also don't want him to stay here just for me..._

* * *

On the first Monday morning of term, Harry sat in Defence. Fortunately the lesson was only a lecture, as he wasn't really paying any attention to Remus. He knew something had been wrong with Draco for a while, ever since they were on the train, and it had only gotten worse at breakfast. Harry had gotten a letter about an Apparition exam, as had a few others, who were good at Apparition and were already seventeen. Although everyone believed Harry to still be sixteen, he had easily argued off the letter as being the result of his fame, which people had believed, or at least it seemed like they had, and Harry didn't know what else could be wrong with Draco.

Beside him, Draco was still thinking about the future, about what Harry would do after school, which world he would live in. He didn't want Harry to remain in Britain just for him, but he knew that could happen, that it very likely would. Although it was only January of their sixth year, Draco was still worried – Harry would become a chunin in the summer, as Draco knew his boyfriend would pass the exams, so Harry could just stay there. The political connections Harry had been gathering were really only in order to find the Horcruxes, and there were now only three left, and Harry knew the locations of two of them. He could probably find them all fairly quickly, maybe even before the summer, and then he wouldn't really need to come to Britain, except for Draco.

As Remus continued lecturing them about non-verbal spells, Neville and Blaise shared a look, wondering what was bothering their friends so much. Blaise decided to take as many notes as he could, knowing that the two of them would probably need to look over someone's notes, as they weren't paying attention. He also wondered what problems there were – if the two of them had one problem they would discuss it with each other, but now it seemed like they both had a problem, so it was reasonable to assume that it was different things. Blaise also wondered if one of them was hiding a problem that the other was then getting worried about, and hoped that they sorted everything soon, as he didn't want anyone like Hermione or the Weasley two to take advantage of the situation to split up Harry and Draco.

* * *

School continued as normal, with classes and homework. Draco decided to leave his issues for now, as he had no idea what Harry would do, but also realised that there was no way he could do anything to change Harry's mind if he did decide to stay in Britain just for Draco. As Valentine's Day approached, Draco made a big thing of asking Harry out in Apparation class, purposely doing it in a way that people like Ron and Hermione would see, even though Harry had already invited him to dinner in London. Conveniently, Valentine's Day this year was on a Friday, so it was easy for Harry and Draco to go to dinner in London on the actual day. Harry had spoken to the Minister and had gotten special permission for Draco to take his Apparition exam early as well, and they both had the exam the following day. Due to how early they had to be at the Ministry offices in London, Harry and Draco had also gotten permission from McGonagall and Snape to stay in London overnight, or, more specifically, in Grimmauld Place.

They had a good meal, although as they were leaving, Draco did ask Harry why they had gone to dinner so early when they didn't have a curfew that night. Harry didn't answer, merely changing the subject:

"Do you think you're ready for the test tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we've been doing fine in class after all. I guess Apparation would be helpful on your missions in Konoha, wouldn't it?"

"It might be I guess", Harry replied thoughtfully. "I suppose it's something the enemy wouldn't expect as well, unless they know that I'm a wizard and what wizards are capable of doing..." he continued, musing to himself as they walked through the streets of London. "I suppose it would also help us when we go out to dinner, so we can Apparate back to Grimmauld rather than walk there."

"It's not like it's far", Draco pointed out.

"Only because I keep going for restaurants only twenty to thirty minutes walk away at most", Harry responded. "We could try something on the other side of London if we knew we could Apparate back, right?"

"What about Muggle transportation?" Draco asked.

"But then we'd have to wear Muggle clothing, so I wouldn't get to see you in those tight robes", Harry replied, speaking as if his response wasn't intended to gain any reaction even as Draco blushed slightly.

"Why do you always have to make me blush?" Draco grumbled under his breath, as they turned into Grimmauld Place and walked down the road.

"It's fun", Harry stated simply, as they walked up the steps outside number 12 and entered the house. "And as for an early dinner, I figured we'd need to get an early night so we're ready for the exam tomorrow", he continued, walking up the stairs.

"Oh", Draco replied, almost dejectedly, as he followed Harry upstairs and to the master bedroom.

As Draco entered the room, Harry was already sitting on the side of the bed, taking off his shoes. Draco kicked off his own and strode purposefully over to the bed, grabbing Harry's legs and throwing them upwards so that Harry fell back onto the bed. Harry wiggled up the bed slightly as Draco climbed on top of him, pressing his body flat against Harry's.

"Are you sure the early night wasn't for this reason?" Draco asked seductively, whispering into Harry's ear as his hands trailed down Harry's sides.

"N-No", Harry muttered weakly.

"No what?"

"I really did want sleep before the exam. We have to be at the Ministry at 10, so we'll have to leave here around 9 and get the Tube to go in the visitor's entrance."

"9? That means we have to be up at what, 8? Giving us an hour to shower, get dressed and grab breakfast? It's only 9pm now, do you really need 11 hours of sleep?"

"Draco –"

"Didn't think so", Draco interrupted, swooping down for a kiss, pressing his lips insistently against Harry's. Harry groaned underneath him, fisting his hands in the back of Draco's robes as Draco's tongue continued to plunder his mouth.

Draco slid his hands down Harry's front, unbuttoning and unfastening, then pulled open Harry's clothes to reveal the broad expanse of chest beneath them. Harry moaned as Draco's mouth moved to his neck, sucking a mark into it, before trailing hot kisses down Harry's chest, leaving marks along the way. Draco sucked on Harry's nipples in turn, earning an approving moan and several gasps, as Harry bucked underneath him. Draco could already feel Harry's hardness through the underwear and layers of his own clothing. His own clothes were becoming increasingly stifling, so Draco got up from the bed. Harry whined slightly at the loss of sensation, but the whine turned to a groan as he looked at the blond, who seemed to be undressing in the most seductive way possible. Unfortunately, this was also the slowest way possible, leading Harry to push himself off the bed and practically rip Draco's clothes off, slipping out of his own clothing at the same time.

Draco realised that Harry was trying to take control, so he walked the dark-haired male backwards and pushed him onto the bed. Harry bounced back slightly, but didn't even have time to register what had happened, as Draco resumed the assault on his nipples.

"Ah! Draco, please!" Harry begged, as one of Draco's hands started fondling his crotch.

"Please what?" Draco asked deviously, kissing down Harry's stomach. Harry tensed up slightly, expecting the hot mouth to wrap around his aching cock, but Draco bypassed the area, instead placing kisses up the inside of Harry's thighs.

"Please, touch there", Harry begged again.

"Touch where?" Draco asked again, as he run his fingers up the inside of Harry's thighs and across the smooth globes of Harry's ass, avoiding both Harry's cock and his hole, purposely teasing him.

"Here!" Harry practically shouted, sitting up, grabbing one of Draco's hands and pressing it against his aching need.

"Oh, here", Draco said, as if he'd just figured out what Harry meant. He moved his flat palm up and down Harry's shaft, not curling his fingers around it. "Like this?" he asked.

"Draco, can't take it any more, you know what I want", Harry groaned.

"I suppose", Draco relented, curling his fingers around Harry's hard cock and giving it a few jerks. He gathered up the precome leaking from Harry's head and spread it around on his fingers, running them back and teasingly rubbing them around Harry'e entrance. Harry groaned and pushed downwards, making Draco relent again, as he rapidly pushed two fingers inside Harry, soon adding a third and roughly preparing his boyfriend.

"Ah! M-More!" Harry groaned brokenly, as he reached down to touch his neglected cock. Draco swatted his hand away.

"No, just here", Draco ordered, thrusting his fingers deeper inside Harry.

"Then do more there!"

Draco relented for a third time, his own need becoming increasingly harder to control, as he stood up. He pulled Harry to the edge of the bed and wrapped Harry's legs around his waist, standing at the side of the bed as he guided his cock into Harry's entrance. Both men groaned as Draco slid into the tight heat of his boyfriend's body, before setting a rapid pace, pistoning his hips back and forward as Harry groaned towards the ceiling.

After a few minutes, Harry reached upwards, running his hands across Draco's stomach and chest.

"Come down here, want to kiss you", he whispered, before moaning loudly at a particularly hard thrust. Draco put his knees up onto the bed, one at a time, until he was no longer standing by the bed, but kneeling on it. Harry tightened his legs around Draco's waist, causing the blond to fall forwards slightly, and craned his neck upwards for a kiss. Draco leaned forwards and kissed Harry briefly, wrapping his arms around Harry's back. He then pulled Harry up with him as he knelt back up onto his knees, so that Harry was sitting on him, allowing his cock to slide even deeper inside his boyfriend. Harry moaned as he began bouncing on Draco, the mattress bouncing with them to make Draco seem to be hitting spots impossibly deep within Harry's body. Draco pulled Harry into a kiss, much deeper this time, mimicking with his tongue what his cock was doing, as he thrust both appendages deep into Harry's body.

Harry groaned at the multiple sensations, as his cock was rubbed between his own and his boyfriend's hard stomachs, and both Draco's cock and his tongue were doing wicked things as they thrust into him. Harry felt his orgasm approaching all too soon, but had no time to warn Draco as it hit him hard, and he came, throwing his head back and screaming. Draco continued thrusting upwards as Harry bounced erratically, riding out his orgasm, before he allowed his own to wash over him. He came deep inside Harry, grunting as he filled his boyfriend with his seed. As his own orgasm subsided, he fell forwards, slipping out of Harry as they flopped down onto the bed.

As they lay there, gasping and panting, Harry curled into Draco's side, and the blond wrapped his arm around his boyfriend.

"See, wasn't that sort of early night much better than just going to sleep?" Draco asked between gasps, as Harry rested his head on the blond's heaving chest.

"Shut up", Harry said, kicking around the covers of the bed so that he could pull them up and over their bodies. He cast a quick charm to clean off the remnants of his orgasm from their bodies, then cuddled against his boyfriend.

"Hey, you only cleaned up yours", Draco noticed.

"Want yours inside me", Harry muttered sleepily, blushing slightly.

"You're blushing", Draco noticed.

"Don't make fun of me."

"You always mention it when I blush."

"I know, but shut up", Harry mumbled.

"Fine. 'Night."

"'Night", Harry replied, closing his eyes. Draco's arms tightened further around him as he slipped into sleep, enjoying the safeness he felt as his tiredness overtook him and he fell into a restful sleep.

* * *

The following morning, Draco woke up in bed alone. He could hear the sounds of the shower in the en-suite, but decided it wouldn't be the best idea to shower with his boyfriend, or they'd only end up distracted and late for their exam. Instead, he grabbed some clothes and a towel and went to one of the other bathrooms to get ready.

It was just after 8 in the morning when Draco made it downstairs, only to find that Harry had made them a full breakfast.

"How much earlier than me did you get up?" he asked Harry.

"Not much", Harry shrugged, as he sat down at the table, which was covered with various plates of food. "Kreacher did this", he added, as Draco looked at him disbelievingly.

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Hey, I could have...if I had time..."

"Yeah, but you were a little...indisposed last night, weren't you?"

"Are you complaining?"

"Hardly", Draco commented, as he started eating his breakfast. Harry smiled at him, as he began eating as well.

Once they had finished, the two of them went back upstairs to get their things.

"Harry, remember when you said about getting the house redecorated?"

"I seem to remember you got annoyed at me when I did..."

"That's because you were changing the subject in order to distract me so...that's beside the point, did you really want to?"

"I guess it would be good, the house is in a good place as it's in London, and it's also hidden and everything..."

"If you have any blueprints or anything I wouldn't mind helping", Draco offered.

"You want to redesign it, don't you?" Harry asked, as he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed back towards the stairs.

"Can I?" Draco asked, grabbing his own bag and following Harry down the stairs and out the front door. Harry called a 'goodbye' to Kreacher before closing the front door behind them.

"I guess, I'll see if I have any plans or anything", Harry replied, as he and Draco headed down the street to the nearest Tube station.

It didn't take long for the two of them to take the Tube through London and arrive at the visitor's entrance to the Ministry, going down in the same telephone box they had entered not even a year ago to fight Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries. They moved through the Ministry easily, and Draco also noticed how many of the upper-class wizards acknowledged them on the way, mostly for Harry's benefit he assumed, but they still recognised him as well. They reached the testing room a little before the written exam was to start, so they went in and took their seats. The exam was in two parts, an hour-long written exam and then a practical exam which included some oral questions. As the two of them waited for the exam to start, Draco found himself thinking about redecorating ideas for Grimmauld while Harry's mind drifted to Apparation, and how useful it would be if he could Apparate to and from Konoha...

* * *

It was the middle of the afternoon before Harry and Draco got back to school. After both passing their respective exams with flying colours they had gone to get lunch, before deciding to celebrate their new-found sense of freedom by Apparating back to school. They appeared outside the school gates, immediately noticing the difference in temperature.

"I know London is south and Scotland is north, but still", Draco commented, as he zipped up his jacket and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, but we were also just in a warm restaurant and now we're outside", Harry pointed out, as they went through the school gates and walked up to the school.

"What about the frost?" Draco asked, as he noticed the crunching under his feet.

"It's still February, it's not going to be twenty degrees, is it?"

"Does it get to that in the summer?" Draco asked.

"Good point. You probably just got used to Konoha over the holidays though – winter doesn't really hit there, it's warm most of the year, so..."

"Yeah", Draco nodded, the conversation about Konoha naturally stopping as they entered the castle, the great wooden doors closing behind them.

The two of them walked through the school, heading for Draco's common room, when Ron passed them.

"Have you two been out all night?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" Harry asked in reply.

"You can't just leave the school overnight, or did  _he_  make you?" Ron sneered.

" _He_  has a name, and no, Draco didn't force me to do anything, we had permission to be out overnight, from McGonagall and Snape – check with them if you really think it's any of your business."

"And what about all the other nights?"

"When?" Harry asked.

"All those other times you didn't sleep in our dorm."

"I was sleeping in the Slytherin dorm – it's kind of cold at the moment after all, and Draco makes a good bed-warmer."

"Hey, don't say it like that's all I'm good for", Draco complained.

"Sorry, you know what I mean", Harry apologised, leaning in to place a brief chaste kiss on Draco's lips. He ignored the disgusted look on Ron's face as he turned to continue walking.

"So, that's where I was, and where I'm going now, see you later", Harry said, finishing the conversation as he and Draco walked off down the corridor and down the stairs towards the Slytherin common room and dorms.

An hour later, as Harry was sitting in the Slytherin common room, doing some homework, he looked around. Draco was sitting opposite him scribbling down ideas on redecorating the house in Grimmauld Place, with Pansy helping him. Theo and Blaise were also sat at the table doing homework. As Harry's thoughts drifted to his encounter with Ron, he realised that, even if he was losing Ron and Hermione, he was making friends down here – and ones that had no problems with his relationship or tried to trick him into being with Ginny. In short, he was losing people who only seemed to want to use him, and gaining actual friends, although it didn't seem to him like the others were ever really his friends...

* * *

**Next Chapter - Kisame and the Easter holidays begin!**


	11. Sasuke and Suigetsu vs Kisame

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

_Three months. Three damn months. Three months without him, without knowing about them, how they are. If we don't catch up to this damn shark soon, I swear I'll..._

"Why are you death-glaring at a rock?" Sai asked.

"Shut up", Sasuke replied, levelling the infamous 'Uchiha death glare' on the former Root member instead of the inanimate rock.

"Are you missing Naruto?" Sai asked, apparently unperturbed by the glare. Sasuke ignored him, instead opting to take out an energy bar and bite into it.

"Is it me, or is he eating more violently than usual?" Suigetsu muttered to Kakashi.

"Leave him to it, probably be best, besides, if our information is correct we should be almost caught up to Hoshigaki", Kakashi replied.

A bird screeched overhead, before dropping down to stop in front of them.

"Tsunade-sama's hawk", Kakashi noted, before untying the message attached to the bird's leg.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Worried about Naruto?" Sai asked. Sasuke's chakra flared for a moment, as if he really was about to do something which may perhaps be considered drastic by anyone else's standards, but before he could act:

"Nothing's wrong", Kakashi stated. "Apparently, a team from the Lightning will rendezvous with us near here, we have a specific location. The team will include the jinchuriki for the Lightning as well as a couple of others...anyway, we need to split up, as we can't risk losing Kisame but some of us have to wait here, especially as he may loop back around to attack the jinchuriki who is meeting us –"

"I'll kill him first", Sasuke stated, walking off towards the mountains in the direction they had been moving in before they had stopped where they were.

"Perhaps –" Sai began.

"I'll go with him", Suigetsu interrupted. "No offence, but he's likely to chidori one of us if we seem to be getting in the way, and at least that won't kill me, even if I might jellify a little if he does it too much..." Suigetsu trailed off, wondering if he really could jellify from an excess of lightning chakra like that.

"You better hurry up then", Kakashi pointed out, as Sasuke had broken into a run, heading after Kisame.

"Yeah, looks like it", Suigetsu replied, before running after Sasuke, leaving Kakashi and Sai to meet up with the team from the Cloud Village.

* * *

Kisame stood up, stretching slightly. He was a little sore from sleeping on the floor of some random shrine all night, but it wasn't like he hadn't slept in worse places. Now he had made it to the Land of Lightning, he had to get started on tracking down the jinchuriki, but as this shrine seemed practically abandoned, it was unlikely he'd find anyone here who could give him any information. The shrine itself was situated up in the mountains over a large body of water, with a series of steps leading down to a round area, which, as Kisame noticed as he walked down the stairs, was no longer empty.

"Well, the little Uchiha and only one of his team", Kisame grinned. "This shouldn't be too difficult – I was on a team with your brother for a while after all."

"You don't have the right to talk about him", Sasuke stated.

"And didn't we fight before?" Kisame asked, looking at Suigetsu.

"Yeah, but this time I'm going to kill you", Suigetsu replied, a murderous glint in his eye.

"Well, if you really are so determined, we may as well fight on my turf. Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" Kisame opened his mouth, spewing out a large torrent of water, which quickly caught up Sasuke and Suigetsu, forming a huge orb of water. The water dome was barely able to fit on the ground, parts of it actually hanging off the edge of the rocks over the water below.

Kisame grinned to himself, as the Uchiha looked around, presumably looking for an exit, while the other one...Kisame couldn't see where he was actually.

Sasuke looked around, quickly looking over the dome of water. He briefly wondered where Suigetsu was, but he couldn't speak underwater, so just had to assume Suigetsu would avoid Sasuke's attacks, as he used his fireball technique, evaporating all the water in the dome before dropping gracefully to the floor. Suigetsu landed beside him.

"Could've warned me, you burnt my arm a bit", Suigetsu complained, as he drew Kubikiribocho.

"Hn", was the only reply he got. Suigetsu shrugged, not really expecting anything more, before jumping towards Kisame, who had landed a little more roughly than them. However, Kisame still caught Kubikiribocho, holding the blade between his hands and pushing Suigetsu backwards, the younger shinobi landing hard on the ground beside Sasuke.

"Don't go getting cocky now, after all, that fire of yours is still nothing like Itachi's, and your partner is definitely not as good as anyone he had as his partner."

"Isn't that a little arrogant?" Suigetsu asked, grunting as he stood up and lifted his sword, jumping to attack Kisame again. This time Kisame parried the blow, lifting Samehada to prevent Suigetsu's attack. Sasuke took this opportunity to attack as well, activating his chidori and moving around to come up beside Kisame. However, before he could make contact, the chidori faded from his hand, as if the chakra had disappeared, and Kisame moved, using Samehada to throw both of them backwards. Suigetsu landed hard on the floor again, while Sasuke got thrown off the rocks and into the water, an open wound across his stomach bleeding upwards as he sank.

_Why did it fade, what happened to my chakra?_  Sasuke asked himself, as he sank in the water.  _If we can't use chakra-based attacks...he keeps saying I'm not as good as Itachi, but I'll need to be to beat him, and how can I not be when I killed Itachi...but I had Orochimaru's powers then..._  Sasuke continued sinking in the water, his eyes slipping closed as random thoughts rushed through his mind. Suddenly, an image of Naruto popped up, Naruto pregnant, Naruto in labour, Naruto giving birth – Sasuke would not miss that, and Naruto was due in a little less than a month, he would be there to protect Naruto, to protect his children, and as for Itachi, he could be – no, he would be as good, he would be better, he had to be.

Sasuke's eyes suddenly shot open, his Sharingan seeming to morph as he shot upwards, pushing himself through the water and jumping back into the battle. Suigetsu had just pulled himself to his feet using Kubikiribocho when Sasuke landed beside him, dripping wet and bleeding from his stomach.

"Sasuke –" Suigetsu began, before cutting himself off as seemingly new eyes were levelled on him. He wondered if Sasuke was even aware that his Sharingan had evolved, as black fire erupted around them, both Kisame and Suigetsu being caught up in it. Sasuke turned back, extinguishing the flames on Suigetsu, while Kisame was forced to drop his sword and rip off his sleeve, which was burning.

Kisame narrowed his eyes at Sasuke, but the Uchiha just glared back, black fire again erupting over Kisame.

"Come on, I'm not going to let you have all the fun in killing him", Suigetsu commented, before firing water bullets from his fingers at Kisame, who was still on fire. The water bullets found their target however, ripping through Kisame and allowing the black fire to start burning up his insides as well. Sasuke moved towards Samehada, but when the sword growled at him, it was set on fire as well, causing Suigetsu to complain about how he had wanted all the swords of the Seven Ninja Swordmen.

"Shut up", Sasuke replied, as Suigetsu seemed intent on continuing to complain.

"Your eyes are different", Suigetsu pointed out. Sasuke didn't reply, but felt his chakra weaken, as the jutsu he was using began taking it's toll. He could feel blood trickling down his face, and briefly wondered when he had received a wound to the head that would have led to that, as the black fire faded completely.

"Did you think it would be that easy?" Kisame panted out, his body badly burnt. The fire faded from Samehada as well, and Kisame picked it back up, the bandages falling away to fully reveal the sword. "Perhaps I should show you why I'm called the tailess tailed beast", Kisame continued, as he merged with Samehada.

"Sasuke –" Suigetsu began, before he was cut off, as Kisame used the same technique as earlier to encase them all in a large orb of water. Suigetsu moved towards Kisame, merged with the water so he would remain unseen, and began attacking him, moving the water around so that Kisame would be shifted about. Sasuke gathered his chakra for a final attack, and used Kirin, a massive amount of lightning hitting the water dome and electrifying the dome and its surroundings.

Sasuke dropped to the floor from a dispersing water orb for a second time, again gracefully, and walked over to Kisame, who was lying on the floor, practically dead already from burns and other injuries.

"Was it really intelligent to use the same attack twice in one battle?" Sasuke asked him.

"Wonder how you unlocked the next level, I thought it would have happened when Itachi died, so why did it take this long?" Kisame asked. "Or did you just need to hate someone enough?"

"Shut up", Sasuke stated finally, before drawing on the last remaining vestiges of chakra in his body, activating his chidori one final time to punch through Kisame's chest and into the ground, before keeling over to the ground, completely chakra-deprived as he passed out beside the deceased Akatsuki member.

Just as Sasuke lost consciousness, Kakashi, Sai and the team from the Lightning arrived. Kakashi pushed up his hitai-ate, surveying the scene with his Sharingan, not that he needed the dojutsu to see that a major battle had taken place there. One of the Kumo-nin was a medi-nin, and immediately moved over to where Sasuke was lying unconscious, while the other went with Sai over to where Suigetsu was lying, partly jellified by Sasuke's Kirin hitting the water dome while he was still merged with the water. Kakashi looked to where the defeated Akatsuki member lay beside Sasuke, noting that he was dead, and that it would be a good idea to retrieve the body to be examined.

"Don't mean to shout, but we should probably move out!" the Lightning jinchuriki rapped, as they looked around the battlefield.

"Yeah", Kakashi agreed absent-mindedly, still observing the damage caused to the area. The steps up to a shrine above had been completely destroyed, the rocks beneath their feet had been broken to such an extent that the water below was coming up through the cracks, and the whole area looked like a massive lightning strike had hit it –  _although,_ Kakashi said to himself,  _a massive lightning burst striking a dome of water is just what we saw, but still a lot of chakra for Sasuke, unless he somehow managed to gain more, or has improved without me noticing..._  Kakashi continued to muse to himself as they cleared out of the area, carrying Kisame's body as well as Suigetsu and Sasuke's unconscious forms back to the Cloud Village.

* * *

The cold of February began to wane as March began, the Scottish weather warming up, although only slightly. It was a Saturday night in the middle of March, and Harry and Draco were in a restaurant, waiting for the Minister and his wife to join them.

"How do you think Naruto is?" Draco asked, talking to Harry before their dinner companions arrived.

"Not sure, he hasn't written in a while, he just sends the letters on to Tsunade-sama. I guess he's just too pregnant to really care that much, although at least Sasuke is there to help."

"He'll still be going on missions though?"

"Yeah, but he must be back by now, it's been a little over three months since he left, it wouldn't have taken that long."

"Okay", Draco replied unsurely, wondering if Sasuke really was still away from the village, as it would explain why Naruto wasn't replying to Harry.  _Although,_ he added to himself,  _it could really just be that he's too pregnant, as he is having triplets, even if he's determined that it's only twins and the third was just a shadow clone..._

Draco was interrupted from his thoughts by the arrival of their dinner companions, and he politely stood up to greet them before sitting back down. He knew that Harry had certain things to discuss with the Minister, but his thoughts kept wandering, as Harry spoke to Fudge about Horcruxes.

"So, I believe one to be hidden in the vault of one of the former Death Eaters at Gringotts", Harry was saying.

"I see, although I suppose you won't have determined which one yet..." Fudge mused.

"I have narrowed it down, but not yet", Harry lied, making sure to avoid revealing how much he knew, so that he wouldn't have to reveal the source of his knowledge. "But I believe it is in one of the ones confiscated by the Ministry, so I think you could find it by looking into those. The magical signature of a Horcrux is fairly unique, and I have written down enough that someone with a knowledge of Dark artefacts and curse-breaking should be able to find it, although I would like to be consulted before it is destroyed."

"Of course, you have destroyed one before, haven't you?"

"Actually, two", Harry replied.

"Two?" Fudge repeated in surprise.

"Yes, one was hidden in Hogwarts, Draco and I found and destroyed it a few months ago."

"Ah, well done, to both of you", Fudge stated, looking between Harry and Draco, his look one of pride, as if he was their teacher. Neither young man missed the prideful look, but both dismissed it, knowing that as long as he was the Minister, Fudge would be fine, he wouldn't turn into a Dumbledore-type figure who was willing to let his students die so that he would get the credit.

"Anyway, that's one of them", Harry said.

"Of course, I'm sure we can find it soon, enough, There are two others, correct?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, one is Voldemort's familiar, the snake Nagini. She is probably with someone still loyal, as I don't think she could survive that long in the wild, but it still may be prudent to check Voldemort's known hideouts, in case she is hiding herself. I have a rough idea on the location of the last one, and I'll be doing some reconnaissance as soon as possible."

"Well, that all sounds good to me", Fudge stated, taking a sip of his wine before turning the conversation onto other matters. Draco paid very little attention, finding his thoughts drawn once again to Harry's future.

As Harry and Draco walked back to Grimmauld Place, Harry questioned Draco about his lack of attention during dinner.

"Sorry, just thinking", Draco replied.

"Why won't you talk to me though?" Harry asked. "I love you, you know that, so what is so bad you can't talk to me about it?"

"It's nothing like that, it's just something I've got to do on my own", Draco responded. Harry looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, but please tell me if there's anything I can do to help."

"I will."

"Changing the subject – what do you think about the house then? You and Pansy have been discussing redecoration ideas for around a month now."

"It's all just ideas though", Draco pointed out.

"I know, but still, I want to know how the two of you plan to redecorate my house."

"Are you taking down the wards so the house is accessible?" Draco asked.

"Now you're changing the subject", Harry noted, "and I know just to avoid telling me what you're planning...but no, the wards are mostly remaining. The Floo requires a password to get into the house, but is otherwise open, so calls to me will get through without the address needing to be known, but the wards that keep the house hidden are staying up. And with Kreacher now being loyal, he can keep the house protected", he added, as they entered the house.

"Did Master Black be wanting something?" Kreacher asked, Apparating in beside them.

"No, thank you Kreacher, I was just saying to Draco how I'm leaving the wards up."

"Okay...do Master Black and Master Malfoy be wanting anything from Kreacher?"

"No thanks Kreacher, we're fine", Draco stated. Harry nodded as well, and the elf Apparated away.

The two young men went into the living room and sat down.

"Are you ready for Easter then?" Draco asked

"I'll send a letter to Naruto tomorrow, although I'm sure he'll just send it on to Tsunade. You aren't coming this time, right?"

"No, you'll be on missions a lot more, and I have a lot of revision to do before exams – which you'll ace thanks to your eyes. Besides, my mother mentioned something about France for a few days, and I don't want to leave her on her own again, I missed Christmas with her after all, and it's not like there's anyone else..."

"Perhaps you should find her a boyfriend", Harry joked.

"Shut up", Draco replied, elbowing Harry in the side before cuddling against him on the couch. "Although, at least then I could be sure that she had someone..."

"I think she can find someone for herself", Harry noted. "And she may not really like the idea just yet."

"You're the one who suggested it! But yeah, you're right."

"If you want to come in here over Easter and start with any of the redecorating that's fine", Harry commented.

"Kreacher won't mind?"

"No, like I said, he's fine now, mostly thanks to you – although he does insist on calling me 'Master Black', but he probably just prefers that due to this being the Black house, and I am Lord Black as well."

"Also the Black name is considered to be higher up than the Potter name, it's on a different tier of Lordship titles, so..."

"Yeah. Kreacher?" Harry called.

"Master Black be calling?" Kreacher asked, Apparating into the room.

"Yeah, Draco is planning on doing some redecorating of this house, so he'll be in a bit over the Easter holidays, which start a week from now and go on for three weeks...is that okay?"

"Redecorating?" Kreacher repeated.

"Not much, we just want to brighten the place up a bit, and as it's in London it would be good as a permanent residence after school", Harry stated. "Nothing will happen if you're not okay with it."

"Kreacher not be wanting to impose –"

"No, it's fine", Draco interrupted. "I don't want to cover up something important to you, or to the house and I don't realise its importance, so we will check with you first, but is it okay for me to be here without Harry?"

"Kreacher be fine with Master Malfoy coming in", Kreacher replied.

"Okay, thanks", Draco replied.

"That's everything Kreacher, Draco and I have to get back to school after all. I'll be back here on Friday 11th April in the evening or the following morning sometime, okay?"

"Kreacher will make sure the house is ready for Master Black", Kreacher stated, before bowing and Apparating away. Harry and Draco shared a look at his obedience, before wandering over to the Floo, returning to school.

* * *

It was the middle of March in Konoha, and what little cold weather there had been had now faded away as Spring was in full bloom. Naruto was sitting at the table in the kitchen of his and Sasuke's house, drinking tea. On the table in front of him were a few opened letters, which he had just finished reading. One was from Harry, informing Naruto of the dates when he would be back in Konoha. He would arrive on Saturday 22nd, and would remain in Konoha for almost three weeks, before leaving the Friday just before he was due back at school, the 11th. Naruto sighed to himself:  _I can't believe it's already been a few months since Harry was here last,_ he said to himself.

"Oh well, at least Harry will probably be here for your birth little ones", he added, talking softly as he rubbed his stomach soothingly. His hand was kicked a few times, making Naruto smile to himself that there once again seemed to be three kicks, confirming – in his mind – that one of the babies was already pretty good with the shadow clone jutsu. "Unlike other people", he added, looking at the other letter on the table.

"Naruto, it's me, can I come in?" Karin called from outside the door.

"Sure", Naruto called back, before the door opened and the redhead entered, sitting opposite him at the table.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"About what?"

"Naruto, I know you don't like people asking that question, but it's just because we care about you that we want to make sure you're okay – not to mention the triplets."

"Twins", Naruto corrected firmly, glaring at her. "And I'm fine. Ish", he added as an afterthought.

"Ish?" Karin repeated.

"Yeah, well, Sasuke only just left the Lightning, the bastard decided to go and get himself injured getting rid of that Akatsuki member, so he probably won't be back in time."

"You're due in three weeks, right?" she asked. "How long ago did Sasuke leave?"

"Only a few days – the bird was pretty quick and the letter was dated – so he's due back around five days after my due date."

"Well, maybe the babies will be late, or the team will move quickly", Karin suggested, smiling at Naruto, although the blond could see through her expression enough to know that she wasn't sure about what she was saying – and that she was missing Suigetsu.

"At least they're all alive – for now", Naruto stated.

" 'For now'?"

"Yeah, well, if Sasuke doesn't get back in time, then –"

"I get it", Karin interrupted. "But they're not too injured?"

"A little, which is why they were in the Lightning for a while, about a week before they could leave, and they'll probably be moving slower, not quicker, so... but yeah, Sasuke decided to go off with just Suigetsu to fight Kisame rather than wait for the backup from the Lightning village, which Kakashi and Sai had to stop to wait for. Only Suigetsu and Sasuke were injured, and they'll both be fine, but still..."

"Like you said, they'll be fine, and I'm sure they'll be back in time", Karin stated.

"Yeah", Naruto said absent-mindedly, suddenly finding himself worried that Sasuke would push himself too hard to get back in time, especially as he was injured...

* * *

When Draco entered the Room of Requirement on the Friday evening just before the Easter holidays started, Harry was already in there, lying on the couch with one arm slung over his eyes as if he was sleeping, although Draco knew him well enough to know that he wasn't actually asleep.

"You okay?" he asked, sitting down on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah", Harry replied, voice muffled by the arm over his face.

"Ready to leave tomorrow?" Draco asked. Harry sighed and sat up.

"I know we agreed there's no point you going with me..." Harry trailed off suggestively.

"There isn't", Draco stated firmly. "You'll have your own thing to do, and besides, I have things to do here – not all of us have the Sharingan to revise with."

"I guess", Harry said, sounding disappointed. Draco slid off the arm and onto the couch, hugging Harry against his side.

"Don't sound so unhappy, it's only a few weeks, and you'll definitely be on your own over the summer."

"The problem is that because it's only a few weeks I'll only be doing really minor missions, especially as Naruto is due in a couple of weeks, and Sasuke won't want to go on long missions when Naruto could go into labour at any moment."

"It'll be fine", Draco said, hugging Harry tighter."

"Yeah."

"And you'll get to see your nephews and niece being born", Draco pointed out.

"Oh yeah, that will be good", Harry considered. "I'll still miss you though", he added, nuzzling against Draco's neck.

"Idiot", Draco stated, although there was no venom in the words as he allowed Harry to curl up against his side. "Will you be back before the end of the holidays?" he asked.

"Yeah, but as soon as I'm back in the country I'm going to that cave with Slytherin's locket in, to do some recon. That should be on the last Friday night of Easter."

"Come to the Manor afterwards, I won't wait up but just let yourself in and come up to my room. I'll let my mother and the house elves know you'll be there at some point overnight."

"Okay", Harry agreed. "But I'll still miss being able to share a bed with you."

"One last time then?" Draco asked.

"You make it sound like I'm going to my death", Harry grumbled.

"Sorry. How about 'one last time before the holidays' then?"

"Better", Harry agreed, leaning up to kiss his boyfriend. He allowed Draco to deepen the kiss, moaning as he was manoeuvred by his boyfriend until they were both lying on the couch, Draco a comfortable weight on top of him.

"Bed now?" Draco asked, gasping slightly for breath as he pulled back from Harry's lips.

"Yeah", Harry agreed, similarly out of breath, as they both stood up from the couch.

Draco walked over towards the bed, but soon found himself being turned into another deep kiss. He moaned as he fisted his hands in Harry's shirt, allowing the dark-haired young man to dominate the kiss as he was walked backwards until the backs of his knees hit the bed. Harry released him and Draco fell backwards, not even having time to bounce on the bed before Harry's weight settled on top of him.

"Harry, don't want to wait", Draco gasped, as a skilled mouth marked his neck, biting and sucking harshly.

"I know, but I need to make sure I leave marks that'll stay for the next few weeks, right?"

"I guess", Draco relented, allowing Harry to remove his shirt before the dark-haired male removed his own. Harry returned his mouth to Draco's neck, before sliding down to leave more marks across the pale chest and stomach, slowly sliding lower. He hooked his fingers in the waistband of Draco's trousers before pulling them down and off in one movement, shoes clattering to the floor at the same time. In what seemed to Draco like the blink of an eye, Harry had also removed his own trousers and shoes, before kneeling on the bed naked, between Draco's spread legs.

"Not sure that's enough marks", Harry mused, looking down at the bite marks he had left across Draco's neck and chest.

"Then leave more during, just hurry up!" Draco begged, lifting his hips to emphasise his point. Harry moved down, biting at the skin and marking it just above Draco's cock, before moving around the hard flesh to leave marks along the inside of the pale thighs, even nipping at Draco's perineum.

"Love you", he muttered.

"Love you too", Draco replied. "But it's not like anyone's going to see me there, are they?"

"They better not", Harry retorted, stopping any possible response the blond may have by swallowing his hard cock, taking the entire length into his mouth in one go. Draco moaned and bucked upwards into the warmth of Harry's mouth, feeling the smirk that formed Harry's expression as Draco made it obvious how easy it was to please him, with a long string of swear words and encouragements at the slightest lick from Harry's skilled tongue.

After a few moments, Harry pulled back, to look down at the flushed, panting form of his boyfriend, spread on the bed with his feet firmly planted and his knees pointing to the ceiling, while one arm was over his face in an attempt to cover his blush and the other was across his stomach, which was rising and sinking rapidly with every gasping breath Draco took.

"Don't stop", Draco begged, voice raspy due to all the noise he had been making, as well as partly muffled by the arm across his face.

"Wouldn't you rather I put it here?" Harry asked, before leaning back down to run his tongue around the rim of Draco's hole, before sliding inside. Draco groaned and pushed down onto the invading muscle, and Harry obliged him, tonguing him deeper and sliding in a finger alongside his tongue, working Draco's hole open for a much larger intrusion.

After a few more licks, Harry again pulled back, and Draco again whined at the loss of the skilled mouth. His whine soon turned to a groan however, as his hands quickly found purchase in the sheets, gripping them tightly as Harry entered him, thrusting all the way inside before setting a rapid pace, roughly fucking Draco into the mattress. The bed bounced underneath them, springs squeaking over and over as the two men moved faster and faster towards their climaxes.

Harry's previous actions had already served to push Draco right to the edge, so it wasn't long before the blond tensed up, spilling himself across his stomach. Harry continued moving, fucking Draco through his orgasm. As Draco came down from his high, he realised that Harry was still hard, and was still fucking him in earnest.

"Harry..."

"So close, want to finish inside", Harry gasped out between thrusts, as he continued to penetrate Draco's twitching hole.

"Hurry or I'll get hard again", Draco warned. Suddenly, Harry threw his head back and moaned, and Draco felt the sticky release fill him up. He groaned at the feeling, pushing down and clenching so that every drop would be released inside him. Harry pulled his softening cock from Draco's hole, watching for a moment as his come dripped back out, before flopping down onto the bed beside Draco.

"Sorry, just that image..."

"Hmm?"

"When you said you'd get hard again, the thought that I could turn you on that much, that you could get hard again that quick if it was me...it pushed me over the edge."

"You don't need to apologise, besides, I'm the one that came too soon – although it's your fault really, making the foreplay so good."

"And I thought you'd have wanted more than my tongue and one finger for preparation", Harry joked, pulling the covers down and underneath their bodies, then back over them. Draco rolled so his back was to Harry then snuggled backwards, so that his back was against Harry's chest.

"It was more than enough – you always are", Draco whispered, eyes slipping closed as the after-effects of his climax caught up with him.

"Thanks", Harry muttered in reply, before falling asleep, cuddling Draco close as he slipped out of consciousness.

* * *

Harry arrived in Konoha directly into the Hokage building in the evening of the following day. He went to Tsunade's office, assuming Naruto wouldn't be there given his due date in only a few weeks, intending to make her aware of his arrival.

"Good evening Harry", she greeted him, as he knocked and entered her office.

"Good evening Tsunade-sama", Harry responded with a bow. "Are Sasuke and Naruto both in the district?"

Tsunade sighed, before responding: "Actually, Sasuke isn't back yet."

"He had another mission?"

"No, he hasn't yet returned from the mission which he went on three and a half months ago, and he's not actually due back now until after Naruto's due date. It took them a long time to catch up to Kisame, then injuries forced them to remain where they were for a short time, and although they are now on their way back, they ended up having to go right up to the Land of Lightning..."

"Which is a month away", Harry finished for her. "Is Naruto doing okay?"

"As far as I know, but he generally doesn't leave the district, he's getting too big, especially given it's triplets – although he's still insisting it's only twins and one somehow knows the Shadow Clone jutsu already."

"At least if he's in the district he's not alone", Harry stated.

"Actually...Suigetsu is on the mission with Sasuke, if you remember, and Karin's medinin training keeps her away a lot. Juugo is also now training to be an academy sensei – the district is pretty much empty during the day, as even when the other two are there, they're usually eating or sleeping."

"So Naruto's alone most of the time?" Harry asked, although he already knew the answer, even before Tsunade nodded. Harry sighed: "Well, I suppose I'm supposed to be doing team missions, so if you can make it so that I'm around a lot..."

"You'll have to do a few D-rank missions while you're here, but technically you've already done enough to qualify for the chunin exams, which will actually not be taking place this year until a little later than usual, in August, so you should have a few weeks here before the exams anyway", Tsunade revealed.

"That's fine", Harry nodded, before excusing himself and Apparating to the Uchiha district, appearing just outside Naruto and Sasuke's house.

Harry knocked on the door at the side of the house, before letting himself into the kitchen.

"Naruto?" he called, switching the lights on in the kitchen.

"Hey", Naruto said, sounding somewhat dejected as he entered from the living room.

"Hi, I just got here", Harry explained. "How are my future nephew and niece?" he asked, avoiding saying 'nephews' as he didn't want to annoy Naruto about the fact that it was triplets, not twins.

"They're okay", Naruto replied. "Just wanting their other parent to hurry up and get back."

"I'm sure he'll be back before you give birth", Harry pointed out.

"I know, but I still miss him – and so do they, they keep kicking towards his side of the bed as if they want him to be there. And he only got to feel them kicking a couple of times before he left..."

"He'll be back", Harry repeated.

"I know", Naruto repeated as well. "But the fact is that he's not yet and I miss him."

"He'll probably run all the way back", Harry joked, sitting down at the kitchen table, Naruto following suit and sitting down heavily into the chair opposite Harry.

"He might do...he once ran all the way from Konoha to a neighbouring village when he found out I was being targeted by a couple of the Akatsuki...although that also may have been as one of those Akatsuki was Itachi...and the other one is the one that he just killed..."

"Must be nice to have someone who would go so far for you", Karin commented, as she and Juugo knocked and entered the house.

"Nice to see you again", Juugo said politely, nodding to Harry.

"You too", Harry replied, smiling at the two of them.

"You have Suigetsu", Naruto commented to Karin, referring to her earlier statement.

"Yeah, but I don't think he'd run all the way back here just for me, but you and Sasuke...you two have a special bond", Karin stated.

"I guess", Naruto responded dejectedly.

"Anyway – do you have names for them yet?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, that's a good point, you haven't told us what you're planning to call them, and not just their first names either – or are you waiting for Sasuke?" Karin asked.

"I was going to wait", Naruto replied. "But then I had that scan not long after he left... I figure it's best to avoid using a first name and surname from the same clan, and I did get Sasuke to agree that the second one can be an Uzumaki... so I decided to name one after his brother, and the other after my mother, regardless of which order they're born in."

"Itachi Uzumaki and Kushina Uchiha", Juugo clarified, mostly for Harry's benefit.

"That sounds good, but are you sure about 'Itachi', given the Elders...?" Karin asked, trailing off.

"I don't care, they're our kids, and Sasuke didn't seem to mind when we discussed it in December – although he said the same thing about people maybe not liking it. I just told him 'screw them', I'm not going through all this – and without Sasuke for most of it as well – only to give my kids stupid names."

"Yeah, you don't want to give your kids stupid names", Karin agreed. "Anyway, I just wanted to check on you quickly, as I have an early start tomorrow", she added.

"I'm fine", Naruto assured her. "Just missing Sasuke."

"Okay, talk to you soon", she said, before leaving the house, Juugo giving both Harry and Naruto a quick nod before leaving as well.

"Will you be okay without team missions?" Naruto asked Harry, as the door closed behind the other two.

"Tsunade says I can still go on some D-rank missions, but I should have a few weeks in the summer before the chunin exams for team missions", Harry replied.

"You should know that your name is down for the chunin exams as Uchiha Harry, is that okay?"

"If it's okay with you – or rather, with Sasuke, it's his name as well after all. I considered changing my name in Britain, but I'll be Lord Potter-Black regardless of my actual surname."

"I'll check with Sasuke once he's back, but I don't think he'd mind. We just need to be careful about the Elders and the head of the Root, as they seem to think Sasuke is plotting to build a Uchiha army by having kids with me, and revealing another Uchiha who's already good enough to be in the chunin exams, especially if you reveal that you have the Rinnegan... the exams are watched by civilians as well, so..."

"Like I said, I don't mind what my name is down as, as long as I know and you guys don't mind. They'll be issues anyway, with my Sharingan or Rinnegan or whatever, as I'm part wizard but I have a clear kekkei genkai, not to mention that I'll probably end up using magic as well as shinobi methods to fight."

"Fair enough. Well, I should probably let you get some rest", Naruto pointed out.

"Yeah", Harry replied, yawning as the after-effects of the portkey started to catch up with him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight", Naruto responded, as Harry left the house to go across to his own and Naruto pulled himself up the stairs and into his own bed, his and Sasuke's bed – not that you would know it given how long Sasuke had been absent from the bed.

* * *

As April began in Konoha, Harry noted that it was a much warmer season here than in Britain, especially as Hogwarts was so far North. He was returning from a simple D-rank weeding mission, and had just reported into the Mission Room, now heading back through the village to the Uchiha district. The district was fairly quiet when he entered, so Harry decided to go and see how Naruto was doing. He walked through the district to Naruto and Sasuke's house.

When he reached their house, he knocked on the door on the side of the house, briefly wondering how much longer Sasuke would be, given Naruto's ever-approaching due date. Harry opened the door to the kitchen and called:

"Naruto?"

Not hearing an answer, he had a quick look around the house, but could not find the blond. He called Naruto's name again a few times, but still heard no response, until he re-entered the kitchen, when he received an answering groan from somewhere outside the open window. He went back outside and walked around the house, finding Naruto in his secret garden area behind the house.

"Naruto?" he asked cautiously, noting the way the blond was gripping his stomach.

"Contractions", Naruto gasped.

"Why didn't you call for someone?"

"No-one's here, and my chakra's messed up so I couldn't use my summons", Naruto replied. Harry formed some quick hand-signs, sending off a clone to fetch Tsunade, while helping Naruto back into the house and up the stairs to his and Sasuke's bed.

He helped Naruto lie down on the bed and made sure he was comfortable.

"My clone went to fetch Tsunade-sama, she won't be long", Harry assured Naruto.

"Sasuke's dead", Naruto said.

"Er – what?!"

"He wouldn't miss this", Naruto snuffled. "So he must be dead, urgh", he groaned, before wincing a lot, gasping through the pain as another contraction hit him.

"Naruto –"

"Don't, I know he's dead, he must be not to be here, just hurry up and get Tsunade here so I can get them out of me", Naruto grunted in pain, glaring at Harry in a way very much reminiscent of the Sasuke's 'Uchiha death glare' as the blond called it. Harry nodded, hoping that Tsunade would hurry – and that Sasuke would too, as Naruto thinking he was dead was hardly the best thing for him right now.

* * *

**Next Chapter - the birth, the rest of the Easter holidays and Harry returns to school!**


	12. The Birth

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

**Previously:**

As April began in Konoha, Harry noted that it was a much warmer season here than in Britain, especially as Hogwarts was so far North. He was returning from a simple D-rank weeding mission, and had just reported into the Mission Room, now heading back through the village to the Uchiha district. The district was fairly quiet when he entered, so Harry decided to go and see how Naruto was doing. He walked through the district to Naruto and Sasuke's house.

When he reached their house, he knocked on the door on the side of the house, briefly wondering how much longer Sasuke would be, given Naruto's ever-approaching due date. Harry opened the door to the kitchen and called:

"Naruto?"

Not hearing an answer, he had a quick look around the house, but could not find the blond. He called Naruto's name again a few times, but still heard no response, until he re-entered the kitchen, when he received an answering groan from somewhere outside the open window. He went back outside and walked around the house, finding Naruto in his secret garden area behind the house.

"Naruto?" he asked cautiously, noting the way the blond was gripping his stomach.

"Contractions", Naruto gasped.

"Why didn't you call for someone?"

"No-one's here, and my chakra's messed up so I couldn't use my summons", Naruto replied. Harry formed some quick hand-signs, sending off a clone to fetch Tsunade, while helping Naruto back into the house and up the stairs to his and Sasuke's bed.

He helped Naruto lie down on the bed and made sure he was comfortable.

"My clone went to fetch Tsunade-sama, she won't be long", Harry assured Naruto.

"Sasuke's dead", Naruto said.

"Er – what?!"

"He wouldn't miss this", Naruto snuffled. "So he must be dead, urgh", he groaned, before wincing a lot, gasping through the pain as another contraction hit him.

"Naruto –"

"Don't, I know he's dead, he must be not to be here, just hurry up and get Tsunade here so I can get them out of me", Naruto grunted in pain, glaring at Harry in a way very much reminiscent of the Sasuke's 'Uchiha death glare' as the blond called it. Harry nodded, hoping that Tsunade would hurry – and that Sasuke would too, as Naruto thinking he was dead was hardly the best thing for him right now.

* * *

**Now:**

Sasuke, Sai, Suigetsu and Kakashi re-entered the village more than four months after they had left. As they walked through the village, Sasuke made to separate off from the group to head towards the Uchiha district, but Kakashi stopped him, reminding him that they would all have to check in with Tsunade. Sasuke glared at the man, but relented, albeit reluctantly, knowing he would be able to sneak off to see Naruto while the others were distracted by Tsunade-sama, he just had to wait a little while longer.

However, when the four of them reached the Godaime's office in the Hokage building, she wasn't there.

"Ne, Shizune, where's Tsunade?" Kakashi asked. "It's the middle of the afternoon, surely she's not out drinking already?"

"No, she's in the Uchiha district", Shizune answered, looking at the four of them, before her gaze stopped on Sasuke. "You might want to get over there."

Sasuke didn't need to be told twice and ran off, through the building and out of one of the windows, continuing along the rooftops before jumping down to the ground as he reached the Uchiha district. He continued running at full speed towards his house.

In Naruto and Sasuke's bedroom, Harry was standing off to one side, while Tsunade was setting up to perform a C-section. Naruto was still babbling on about how Sasuke must be dead, and neither Harry nor Tsunade knew how to convince him otherwise.

"Okay Naruto, can you feel this?" Tsunade asked, running her gloved hand over his stomach.

"Feel what?" Naruto asked, not looking down from where his eyes were fixed on the ceiling.

"Never mind", she responded. "I still don't get why you wouldn't just come to the hospital."

"What's the point?" Naruto asked.

"Either way, I'm about to start, is that okay?" Tsunade asked. Naruto nodded numbly, but before Tsunade could press the scalpel in her hand to his stomach, the door slammed open with so much force that it broke off its hinges.

"Sasuke..." Harry said, but said young man ignored him, instead walking past Harry and Tsunade to sit beside Naruto on the bed.

"Couldn't wait five more minutes?" he asked.

"Me or them?" Naruto asked in reply, smiling weakly as he pulled Sasuke down into a hug. "Figured if you weren't here you must be dead."

"Usuratonkachi...we killed Kisame and were on our way back, you knew that – what did you think was going to happen?"

"No idea", Naruto replied, sniffing slightly.

"Not that I want to interrupt – well, actually, I need to", Tsunade said. "Naruto, are you okay for me to...?"

"Uh-huh", Naruto nodded, not taking his eyes off Sasuke's. However, when he felt the pinch that he knew was his stomach being sliced open, he closed his eyes, deciding he didn't really want to see himslef being cut open. He felt a second pinch, but kept his eyes closed, although he did almost open them when he felt Sasuke's hand in his hair.

It wasn't long before Naruto could feel Tsunade stitching him back up again, while Harry was wiping off the crying babies. As Naruto felt himself being bandaged up, he decided to open his eyes, only to have Harry almost immediately slide one of the babies into his arms. He looked down at the boy in his arms, wrapped up in towels, while Tsunade finished what she was doing, removed her gloves, and moved up to rearrange the pillows on the bed so that he could sit more comfortably with the baby in his arms.

"Naruto, I know that even after the scan you were determined it was only two..." she began gently.

"Huh?" Naruto asked, looking up from the baby boy inhis arms to see that both Sasuke and Harry were holding newborn babies. "No", he said, speaking slowly and deliberately. "One was a shadow clone...it's twins, not triplets..."

"You had a scan?" Sasuke asked.

"The kicking was starting to get really painful", Harry explained, cooing to the baby girl in his arms.

"I see", Sasuke said. Harry looked at him for a moment before going over to the bed, sliding the little girl into Naruto's arms as well as the boy Naruto was already holding.

"I'll come back to check on you all a little later", Tsunade said, as both her and Harry left the room.

"Triplets, huh?" Sasuke asked.

"No, I...we can't..."

"It's a little late for that", Sasuke replied, sitting beside Naruto on the bed and watching as the three babies started reaching for each other and their parents. "What should we call them?" he asked. "I know we thought of some names, but which ones –"

"I was going to call them Itachi Uzumaki and Kushina Uchiha when I thought it was twins", Naruto replied.

"Well, why not those two names? The boy you're holding was born first, then the other boy, and the girl last."

"I suppose you want the oldest boy to be a Uchiha then?"

"Naruto –"

"Can we call him Jiraiya? I know it might make him into a pervert, but with Kakashi and Sai around..."

"Like I'm letting either of those two anywhere near my kids", Sasuke vowed.

"Oh shut up, you don't mind them really", Naruto replied, snuggling against Sasuke's side.

"Careful you don't tear the stitches", Sasuke warned, although he allowed Naruto to snuggle closer against him.

It was only around ten minutes later that Sasuke noticed Naruto was snoring softly. He carefully stood up from the bed, briefly noticing the lack of blood on the sheets where Naruto had been lying when Tsunade was performing the C-section, and crossed the room. Naruto had set up a large cot, easily big enough for triplets, and Sasuke set down the boy he was holding gently, before returning to the bed and carrying over the other two babies, one at a time, setting them down together in their cot. He looked down at their small bodies, examining each of them closely. The oldest boy, Jiraiya, had eyes just like Naruto's, while the other boy's, Itachi's, were dark like his. Kushina's were dark as well, although a little lighter than Itachi's. Another thing that made Sasuke smile were the whisker marks. He knew that, as the Kyuubi jinchuriki, Naruto would probably pass on something like that to the babies, and he was actually glad, as it let everyone know that Naruto cared about Sasuke enough to be pregnant for him, as it was being around the Kyuubi chakra while inside Naruto which gave the three of them the whisker marks. He stood there for a few more moments before his own tiredness caught up with him as well, as he had just returned from the Lightning Village in a little more than three weeks, then run across the village to get back to the house. He took off his sword sheath and weapons pouch, tossing them on the bedside cabinet, before kicking off his shoes and lying down beside Naruto. The blond instinctively moved closer to him, and Sasuke cuddled him tightly, before falling asleep beside his boyfriend, something that he hadn't been able to enjoy for almost four and a half months.

* * *

"Not happening."

"Sasuke –"

"Not happening", he repeated.

"You have to", Tsunade stated. "The three of you need to go on missions as a team, and Harry will be returning to Britain next Friday."

"It'll only be a week", Suigetsu pointed out, only to have Sasuke's glare levelled at him.

"I'm not leaving for a week when my children were only born a few days ago", Sasuke stated evenly. He was standing opposite Tsunade, who was sitting at her desk in her office. Suigetsu and Harry were also in the room, but Sasuke's stance and vicinity to the door made it clear that he would rather be elsewhere. It was Thursday 3rd April, just over a week before Harry was set to return to Britain, and five days since the triplets had been born. As Sasuke had been gone for four and a half months and only back for those five days, he understandably didn't want to leave.

"What if we just do D-rank missions in the village?" Harry suggested. "We'd have to be gone during the day, but between the three of us we could probably get one done in only a few hours."

"The mission I want to send you on is only C-rank, so suitable for genin, and it would be good for Harry to have some experience leaving the village. You'll only be going to the Sand and back, and I believe Gai once made it back from the Sand in one day while carrying Kakashi on his back."

"That's still one day there and one day back", Sasuke said.

"And I probably won't be able to run that fast through a desert", Suigetsu mused.

"Then we'll stick you in a water bottle", Sasuke stated dismissively. "That is, if we really have to do it – surely the Elders have problems with me going on missions outside the village? I'm only a genin."

"Actually, they...suggested it", Tsunade sighed. "I think they want you and Naruto apart for a bit, to prove that you can handle being an active shinobi and a Hokage even with kids, and at your age."

"When do we have to leave?" Sasuke asked.

"Wait – you're done arguing?" Tsunade asked in surprise.

"When do we have to leave?" Sasuke repeated.

"Tomorrow morning at ten –"

"Fine", Sasuke stated, before turning abruptly and walking from the office. Suigetsu followed him, leaving Harry to bow politely, before he too followed Sasuke.

They were already in the Uchiha district before Suigetsu and Harry caught up with Sasuke, who had stormed through the entire village, glaring at anyone who even sort of got in his way.

"Sasuke – wait!" Harry almost shouted.

"I'm going to spend the rest of the day with my family. I'll meet you at the village gates tomorrow morning at five to ten – don't be late", he said menacingly, before walking into his and Naruto's house, the door slamming closed behind him, leaving Suigetsu and Harry to look at each other, unsurprised at his attitude, but surprised at his acceptance of the mission.

Sasuke sat down heavily in a chair in the kitchen, the door slamming closed behind him. Almost immediately after it slammed closed, three wails occurred upstairs, before Naruto yelled angrily down the stairs at him. Sasuke pushed himself up from the table and went upstairs, wincing as he opened the door to the bedroom and the crying of the triplets reached his ears.

"You couldn't have shut the door softly?!"

"I'm in a bad mood."

"Well, what else is new?!" Naruto asked loudly, having to almost shout to be heard over the babies, which only caused them to cry louder. He groaned and picked up Itachi, handing him to Sasuke, whose glare immediately softened as he looked down at the small baby. He moved over to sit on the bed, holding Itachi in one arm, while running his other finger over the baby's stomach, where Itachi repeatedly tried to grasp it.

By the cot, Naruto was leaning over, soothing Jiraiya and Kushina. As the three of them slowly calmed down, he turned around ready to continue being annoyed at Sasuke, but when he saw his boyfriend sitting on the bed with Itachi in his arms, he was immediately placated.

"What happened?" he asked calmly.

"Hmm?" Sasuke asked, still distracted by Itachi. Naruto moved to sit on the bed beside Sasuke, leaning his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and looking down at Itachi, as he repeated:

"What happened? You slammed the door pretty hard."

"I just let it slam, besides, if I hadn't Suigetsu and Harry would have probably followed me inside."

"You guys are supposed to be a team now, you know? I know you don't have a sensei, and it's a different team than before –"

"You mean because you're not there?" Sasuke pointed out, smirking as he inched his shoulder away from Naruto's head so he could return Itachi to the cot with his brother and sister.

"Well, neither's Sakura..."

"How terrible", Sasuke dead-panned.

"Play nice", Naruto said warningly, dropping his voice to a whisper as he tugged on Sasuke's arm. He indicated that the triplets were falling asleep, and Sasuke nodded, quietly following Naruto from the bedroom and down the stairs.

They entered the living room and Sasuke sat down on the couch, Naruto immediately flopping down beside him. Naruto allowed himself to slide down until he was lying on the couch with his head in Sasuke's lap.

"So what happened with your team?" Naruto asked, emphasising the last word in the hope that Sasuke would start thinking of them in that way.

"I'd rather be on a team with you."

"Team 7?"

"No, just you."

"Sasuke..."

"We have to go on a mission, away from the village."

"How long will you be gone?" Naruto asked.

"We have to take a message to the Kazekage, but apparently Gai managed to get back from the Sand in a single day once –"

"Yeah, I was there", Naruto remembered, interrupting Sasuke. "We ran all the way back and didn't stop to sleep or eat...you don't have to do that...in fact, can you even do that if Suigetsu is with you?"

"I can teleport", Sasuke pointed out.

"All the way to the Sand?"

"Why not?"

"With Suigetsu and Harry?"

"Why not?" Sasuke repeated.

"You guys should probably go properly, although if you want to run there and back –"

"Naruto, either you find an excuse for me to teleport, or you have to take care of the triplets without me for anything up to a week – Suigetsu will be slower than the normal three days from the Leaf to the Sand, not faster, and although I said we could just put him in a water bottle –"

"Sasuke!"

"What? We'd get there quicker."

"I'll see if I can find a reason for you to teleport", Naruto relented, before yawning widely.

"Tired?" Sasuke asked.

"Well they do seem to be nocturnal", Naruto replied, waving his hand towards the ceiling to indicate he was referring to the triplets.

"I suppose foxes are sometimes considered nocturnal..."

"Shut up teme."

"Usuratonkachi."

Naruto smiled slightly up at Sasuke, before his eyes started drooping closed. Sasuke slid down the couch so that he was lying beside his boyfriend, pulling him flush against his body.

"Sasuke –"

"What? There's not that much space on the couch after all", Sasuke pointed out, smirking slightly as Naruto's eyes opened to look at him. He leaned in for a kiss, capturing Naruto's lips and pulling the blond's body harshly against his own. Naruto moaned into the kiss, moving his arms around Sasuke's neck. He allowed Sasuke to deepen the kiss, and Sasuke's tongue slipped into Naruto's mouth, sliding over Naruto's as both fought for dominance, even though, on some level, Naruto knew he would always submit in the end.

Sasuke rolled Naruto onto his back, still pressed firmly against Naruto, but now in an ideal position to grind downwards, as Naruto's legs had automatically opened so that Sasuke was lying in between them. He could feel Naruto hardening beneath him, and felt his own hardness stirring, however...

"WAHHH!" they heard from upstairs. Almost immediately, two more cries joined the first. Sasuke groaned in annoyance, briefly burying his head in Naruto's shoulder before reluctantly standing up and following Naruto upstairs.  _Damn it, I was gone for four and a half months and even though I've been back a week we still haven't managed to –_

"Sasuke?" Naruto called.

"Yeah?"

"You wanna take Itachi again?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded in reply and took the baby boy.

"Guess I'm just good at getting Uzumakis to calm down", he quipped, referring to Itachi's surname.

"I guess I'm the same with Uchihas", Naruto responded, leaning over the cot to comfort Jiraiya and Kushina.

"Better at getting me to calm up", Sasuke muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing", Sasuke replied, focussing on comforting Itachi rather than the growing problem between his legs. He was somewhat annoyed that Naruto could turn himself off so quickly, although as Naruto fidgeted he wondered if he really had – and if they'd be able to start having sex again any time soon.

* * *

Sasuke met Suigetsu and Harry at the village gates just after ten the following morning.

"Running a little late?" Suigetsu asked mockingly.

"I hope you get Karin pregnant with quadruplets", Sasuke retorted.

"Shut up, teme, you don't mind them really", Naruto pointed out, walking up to Sasuke, pushing a buggy with the three triplets in, and carrying a rather large bag.

"Morning you three", Harry said, crouching down in front of the buggy, deciding it was safer to talk to the three babies than deal with Sasuke and Suigetsu arguing, especially as Naruto was there to deal with Sasuke.

"I'm sure it's not that difficult", Suigetsu said dismissively.

"Well perhaps you'd want to take care of the three of them for a while then?" Naruto suggested.

"No!" Sasuke shouted, at the same time as Suigetsu drawled: "Sure, why not?"

"Play nice or you'll only upset them", Naruto warned, just as Tsunade arrived.

"Good morning everyone", she greeted them.

"Good morning, Tsunade-sama", Harry replied, standing up and bowing to her as Sasuke was still busy glaring at Suigetsu, while Suigetsu was just looking interestedly at the three babies.

"Now then, Naruto has sorted out a few changes, which the Kazekage has also agreed with", Tsunade began, "so, you will be teleporting to the Sand to take the message, and then Sasuke, Suigetsu and Harry will be doing some recon of one of Orochimaru's former bases along with a team from the Sand, as the former base is precisely on the border between the two countries, before teleporting back here after the mission."

"That sounds like we'll be gone for a few days", Sasuke stated evenly, looking at Naruto.

"Yes, but you'll be teleporting there and back", Tsunade responded, before leaning down to check on the triplets.

"I thought you were going to find a way for me to be back quickly", Sasuke muttered to Naruto, moving over to him and the triplets.

"Sasuke –"

"Looks like they're good to go", Tsunade said, standing back up from the triplets. "You definitely have everything?" she asked Naruto.

"Yeah", Naruto replied.

"You're coming with us?" Harry asked.

"I got a letter from Gaara yesterday, asking about the babies, so I thought I'd take them to see him", Naruto replied to Harry, before leaning forwards to look down at the triplets. "You three want to see Uncle Gaara, don't you?"

" 'Uncle Gaara'?" Sasuke repeated, speaking slowly and carefully.

"Yeah, well, they'll need godparents...", Naruto began.

"Naruto", Sasuke said warningly.

"We'll talk when we get there", Naruto said dismissively. "Harry, will you hold Kushina please?"

"Sure", Harry agreed, unstrapping the baby girl from the buggy and holding onto her. Naruto picked up Itachi and passed him to Sasuke, and did the same with Jiraiya, handing him to Suigetsu so he could fold up the buggy.

"You drop him, I'll kill you", Sasuke stated menacingly. Naruto shook his head, purposely ignoring the way baby Itachi moved his hands as if applauding the idea of Sasuke's vengeance.

"You need to hold them tightly while you teleport", Tsunade reminded them.

"Naruto, carry Jiraiya", Sasuke ordered.

"What about the buggy?" Naruto asked.

"Give it to Suigetsu, but if you let that water-head teleport with my son, I'll –"

"Yeah, I get it", Naruto interrupted Sasuke. He put down the buggy and took Jiraiya from Suigetsu, allowing Suigetsu to hold onto the buggy instead.

"If you don't trust me, you only have to say so", Suigetsu said to Sasuke as he picked up the buggy.

"Hn."

Naruto shook his head again, as the expected non-committal grunt came from his boyfriend, before Sasuke popped away in a cloud of smoke, holding tightly onto Itachi. Harry shook his head as well, although only Naruto seemed to notice, before he Apparated away, holding Kushina and using Sasuke's position to gauge where to end up. Suigetsu teleportd as well, and Naruto gave a final nod to Tsunade before he and Jiraiya disappeared in a pop of smoke.

In the Sand, Harry and Kushina appeared beside Sasuke and Itachi, just outside the village gates. Suigetsu and Naruto and Jiraiya soon joined them, and they quickly returned the babies to the buggy before entering the Sand village. It didn't take long to reach Gaara's office, and as Gaara was expecting them, they were immediately allowed in. Naruto stood back, allowing Sasuke to hand over the message. Gaara thanked him and Temari offered to show Sasuke, Suigetsu and Harry to the rooms prepared for them. Sasuke looked like he was going to argue, but at a look from Naruto he grudgingly relented, leaving Naruto and the triplets in Gaara's office.

"How are you feeling?" Gaara asked.

"I'm okay, but you know, three of them."

"I thought it was only twins?"

"I thought one was just really good with the Shadow Clone jutsu, but unless it's a henged Shadow Clone..."

"Naruto, I think you just have to accept that you have three children."

"So far", Naruto added. Gaara looked at him quizically, so Naruto elaborated: "I'm working on a way to get Sasuke pregnant."

"Uchiha pregnant? May I ask for photos?" Gaara asked.

"Sure", Naruto shrugged, smiling at the redhead. "Now, are you going to come over here and see them or just stay sitting behind your desk?"

"Naruto...I may not be a jinchuriki any more, but my sand...I could hurt them..."

"You won't", Naruto stated, walking over to the desk. "Now, come on", he almost ordered, tugging on Gaara's arm and pulling the redhead over to where the triplets were. He opened the bag he was carrying and got out some blankets, spreading them on the floor of Gaara's office, then unstrapped the babies from the buggy and laid them on the blankets on their backs.

"Are you sure?" Gaara asked, as Naruto tugged on his arm and encouraged the redhead to sit on the floor beside the blankets.

"Yes", Naruto said emphatically, tugging Gaara down to the ground to sit beside him. "Now, this one's Jiraiya, he's the oldest, then Itachi, then Kushina", he explained, pointed at each of the babies in turn.

Gaara looked down at the three small babies, not even a week old, and immediately knew that they were Sasuke and Naruto's children. All three of them had three whisker marks on each cheek, as they would have been around the Kyuubi chakra constantly while Naruto was pregnant. Jiraiya had blue eyes, just like Naruto's, and was starting to grow little wisps of blond hair. Gaara had no doubt he would be a copy of Naruto, just as Itachi looked like he would be a copy of Sasuke, with dark eyes and dark hair. Kushina was somewhere between the two, with brown eyes but not as dark as Sasuke's. She didn't have any hair yet, and Gaara briefly wondered if it would be light brown as well, between the blond and almost black hair of her two fathers.

"Do you want to hold one of them?" Naruto asked softly.

"I'm not sure if –" Gaara cut himself off as Itachi rolled over, knocking into Gaara's knee slightly. Naruto nodded to Gaara, so the redhead reachd down, albeit reluctantly, and lifted the small boy into his arms.

"This is the one named after Sasuke's brother?" he asked.

"Yeah, Itachi – but Uzumaki Itachi. The other two are Uchiha as they have names from my side."

"I see", Gaara responded, rocking the baby slightly.

"And you were worried", Naruto muttered.

"It must be difficult, having to baby-proof everything", Gaara commented.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're always saying how you often get weapons for Sasuke whenever there's a day for buying him presents, so he must have quite a lot, and if you live in a house with stairs and a big kitchen...you'll have to make sure they won't get into anything dangerous, or fall down the stairs, or..."

"Crap", Naruto swore, before immediately covering his mouth.

"Or swear in front of them in case their first words end up being sear words", Gaara continued.

"I didn't think of baby-proofing", Naruto admitted.

"You can't be constantly around them though – what if you're taking care of all three of them alone and you have to go to the toilet or something?"

"Okay, I get it, baby-proofing good, babies in the weapons bad", Naruto said. "And you thought you'd be bad for them – perhaps you should be their godfather", he added under his breath.

"What?"

"Before we left Konoha, I called you 'Uncle Gaara' to the kids, figuring it would annoy Sasuke – which it did – but, I don't know, you could be the godfather to one of them...perhaps Itachi as you're holding him?"

"Naruto, I'm honoured, but –"

"Good, I'll tell Sasuke later", Naruto said brightly.

"You haven't asked him already?"

"Well, I said we'd talk about it later, but he can just accept it, besides, he's the one going off on missions all the time, leaving me to look after them...perhaps if you're not busy I can teleport over here with them when that happens?"

"As much as I'd like that, we both have responsibilities, although if you were to do it every couple of months or so I can't see any issue", Gaara admitted. "How old are they anyway?"

"They were born on 29th March, so six days old", Naruto replied.

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just...that's the same birthday as my father."

"Well, now you have to be their godfather, clearly they were born that day to prove that you would be a good godfather."

"Naruto...surely there's someone else with a birthday around the same time as them?"

"Hmm...oh yeah. actually, Sakura's is the day before! But Sasuke really would kill me then, you were never his fanboy or anything..."

"Naruto –"

Gaara was cut off by Itachi, who was gurgling and reaching upwards for something to play with. Gaara looked over to the corner of the room, where his gourd was leaning against the wall. A stream of sand flew out of it, and formed various shapes above the three babies, as Gaara set Itachi back on the blanket to watch the various shapes the sand was morphing into.

"Yeah, I'll visit every couple of months...or whenever I need to get them to sleep", Naruto said, noticing how the sand shapes above the babies were making them gradually more drowsy, and the three of them slowly dozed off.

"Naruto, you can't leave the country every time you want them to fall asleep", Gaara pointed out, smiling a little at his friend's antics.

"Why not?" Naruto pouted. Gaara looked at him, so Naruto relented: "Fine... besides, we should probably talk about this mission Sasuke, Suigetsu and Harry are going on..."

* * *

That evening, Sasuke was lying on a bed, in a bedroom in the quarters provided for the Konoha shinobi. He was facing the wall, lying in the dark, even though it was only evening and he was awake anyway. He heard the door open behind him:

"Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"Don't sit in the dark, teme, besides, this is technically my room."

"It's big."

"Visiting Hokage, and there are these three", Naruto pointed out. At the reminder of his children, Sasuke rolled over and stood up from the bed, taking the pram from Naruto and picking up each of the triplets in turn, seemingly checking them before setting them in a cot Gaara had also sorted out for the three of them.

"Thanks", Naruto said gratefully, sitting down on the bed.

"Hn...what's this?!"

"What?" Naruto asked, alarmed at Sasuke's sudden raised voice, especially as it followed his normal non-committal grunt.

"There's sand on Jiraiya!"

"It's just a tiny bit, besides, the three of them fell asleep because Gaara made sand shapes, and – where are you going?"

"There's sand on one of my children, and I'm going to get revenge", Sasuke replied, hand reaching for the door.

"Do it and you're dumped", Naruto stated.

"You wouldn't", Sasuke responded warningly, not turning around.

"Wouldn't I?" Naruto asked. Sasuke turned to face the blond, whose arms were folded as he stood in front of the cot. Sasuke also looked behind him, at the three sleeping babies.

"If it happens again I'll kill him", Sasuke vowed, walking back into the room.

"A little sand won't hurt them, Gaara was around it all the time and he was the Kazekage before he was 16!"

"If you're argument is that they'll end up anything like that raccoon then I am going to go kill him."

"Don't be an idiot. Teme", Naruto added affectionately, walking up to Sasuke and cuddling him. Sasuke but his arms around Naruto, holding him as well. He considered using the closeness as an opportunity to continue his threats to Gaara, but instead decided to use it to press his body close against Naruto's, tugging on blond locks so Naruto's head pulled back from Sasuke's shoulder, allowing Sasuke to kiss Naruto.

Sasuke walked Naruto back towards the bed, pushing the blond backwards onto it and pulling off the blond's trousers and shoes in one go. Naruto sat up so Sasuke could help him remove his shirt as well, then pressed his palm against Sasuke's chest.

"You too", Naruto said. He chose to ignore Sasuke's smirk as his boyfriend stripped quickly, getting down to his underwear in only a few moments, before practically jumping on Naruto, kissing him deeply and pressing their growing erections together through the thin pieces of cloth that were both pairs of underpants. Naruto moaned at the feeling, and was just about to reach down to pull off Sasuke's underwear, when suddenly:

"WAHHH!"

"WAHHH!"

"WAHHH!"

Both young men groaned loudly, and not in pleasure, as one cry created two more, and all three of their children started screaming.

"I blame you for this", Naruto said accusingly, as he reached down to comfort Kushina and Jiraiya, while Sasuke picked up Itachi.

"I don't see why it's my fault."

"Because I wanted one of each surname, but you obviously wanted more Uchihas so made sure it would be three. Plus, if it wasn't for your genes then mine would be stronger, and the third baby would have been a shadow clone, not an actual third baby."

"You're being an idiot."

"You always think that", Naruto replied, as he gradually soothed the two Uchiha babies back to sleep, while Sasuke rocked the Uzumaki baby to sleep at the same time.

"We're not getting laid any time soon, are we?" Naruto asked.

"Dobe."

"That's not an answer."

"It was a rhetorical question – you already know we aren't."

"Still your fault", Naruto mumbled, as he trudged across the room and got into the bed. Sasuke's weight settled into the bed behind him, and Naruto leaned back against the warm body.

" 'Night, teme", Naruto mumbled, already half-asleep.

" 'Night, usuratonkachi", Sasuke replied, both using their nicknames for each other before falling asleep, the three babies sleeping in their cot peacefully – for now.

* * *

_Kill me now. Actually, kill them, I need to be alive for my children. And Naruto. Yes, kill them now. Or better, kill that stupid red-headed raccoon for sending me on a pointless mission with a bunch of idiots. Or even better, kill all of them, including that doll-loving idiot, and just let me, Suigetsu and Harry do it. Although, Suigetsu thinks this is funny, so...yes, he can die too._  Sasuke resisted the urge to cackle evilly out loud, reminding himself that Uchiha's don't do that, although as he looked over and realised that Suigetsu was whispering to Harry, who was trying to hold back his snickering, he decided that he might have to rethink what a Uchiha was supposed to be like, with a brother and two children with the 'Uchiha' surname.

The three of them had been sent on a mission to check out one of Orochimaru's former bases. Never mind the fact that it had been disused for years, and Sasuke had killed Orochimaru – well, absorbed him at least, but he was definitely dead, ever since Itachi...

Regardless, the base had been abandoned, and there wouldn't even be any useful information there. In reality, it was about giving Harry and the Sand genin some experience on missions away from their village. Harry, however, would have been fine without this mission, and the Sand genin:

"We have to do well on this mission!"

"Yes, for Gaara-sama!"

"Gaara-sama will be expecting us to do well!"

Sasuke swore to every deity he could think of that if he heard the word 'Gaara-sama' one more time...

"Sasuke", Harry called from the side of the room. Sasuke joined him.

"What?"

"Try not to kill any of them", Harry said, almost pleadingly.

"Why not?" Sasuke asked, Sharingan whirling into existence.

"Turn that off", Harry said under his breath. "We – that is, you – are supposed to behave. Besides, you think those three aren't going to give a full – and precise – report to Gaara-sama – and yes, I'm using that honorific, just because you only use them to mock people –"

"Your point?"

"They'll tell Gaara that you tried to kill him, Garra will tell Naruto, you won't get sex..." Harry trailed off, expecting his point to have been made.

"Not getting that anyway", Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just get enough with random fangirls and fanboys of me –"

"Jealous?" Suigetsu asked, joining the two of them.

"Hardly, but if it annoys me when they do it to me..."

"Are you three actually helping us?" Kankuro called. The three genin, Ittetsu, Matsuri and Sari, looked accusingly at them as well.

"Gomen, Kankuro-sama", Harry replied, bowing. "How can we help? Is there anywhere else we should check?"

"No, I think we're done", Kankuro replied.  _Should I be suspicious of his politeness given that he's teamed up with an antisocial Uchiha and an uncaring waterhead?_  the puppet-master asked himself. He decided against it however, figuring that one of the team had to have some semblance of manners, and it was hardly going to be either of the other two.

It had taken the seven of them a day and a half to reach the base, and Sasuke knew it would be just as long to get back. Sleeping in the tent with Harry and Suigetsu last night, he immediately missed Naruto's warmth, and the knowledge that the triplets were nearby, even if they did prevent him and Naruto from having sex. As the group bedded down in the base of a sand dune for the second night outside of the village, Sasuke realised that he was going to have to get used to this if he wanted to remain an active shinobi. The only way he would be able to stay active and in the village were if he were ANBU, or the Hokage's bodyguard or something...

Sasuke suddenly started in his sleeping bag.

"You okay?" Harry asked sleepily.

"Yeah, bad dream, sorry", Sasuke replied. He noticed Harry's raised eyebrow and general look of disbelief but made no comment, and Harry settled back down to sleep, while Sasuke though over his idea:  _bodyguard. Naruto doesn't have any official bodyguards, at least not yet. He's so powerful he doesn't really need any, but I can still match up to him. Actually, I'm probably the only one who can, which will provide a reasonable excuse for the Elders and Danzo – they'll try to keep me away from that sort of powerful position, but I can point out that I'm the only one even somewhat qualified to protect Naruto. Besides, even if they do still believe I'm using him to build an army, or whatever idiotic reason they've come up with this time, that still means I'll have to protect him, so they can't refuse me for that reason...I'll have to pass the chunin exams, and then become a jounin, but I don't actually have to go into ANBU first..._

Sasuke drifted to sleep slowly, still forming his plans, a calculating half-smirk half-smile on his face as he thought about Naruto's office – they already had used it enough, and that was when the village was still being rebuilt, and this plan would give Sasuke an excuse to be in Naruto's office all the time...

* * *

In the end, Sasuke had not killed Kankuro, the three Sand genin, or Gaara, although he did come up with numerous fantasies in which he did. At one point the Sand genin annoyed him to the extent that he seriously considered putting himself under a genjutsu just to get away from the 'amazing Gaara-sama'. Unfortunately, Harry had noticed this, and kept prodding him out of even attempting to put himself under a genjutsu.

They had teleported back to Konoha, arriving a few days after they left, and still allowing Harry a couple more days in Konoha before he had to return to Britain. In this time, he, Suigetsu and Sasuke had completed another mission as a team, just a D-rank mission the day after they had returned, involving weeding some swamp. Sasuke had apparently been to the same place before, and had picked some plants there with Naruto, as part of a mission not long after the village had been rebuilt after Pein's attack. Harry and Suigetsu had decided that there was some sort of conspiracy there, as the woman kept giving Sasuke knowing looks, and commenting about rain and the barn... Sasuke wasn't going to tell his teammates that his and Naruto's first time had been in the barn, but still...

Harry was now packing up the few things he had brought with him, getting ready to return to Britain. It was early afternoon on Friday when he said goodbye to Sasuke, Naruto and the triplets, as well as Suigetsu, before heading to Tsunade's office to inform her that he was about to leave. However, as it was already late afternoon when he left, it was around 1am when Harry reappeared in Britain. He appeared in a completely dark area, as it was nighttime, cloudy and only early April, not to mention that he was on the coast with no light sources around at all. Harry knocked the quick-release mechanism on his right forearm, his wand being released into his hand. He lit up his wand, pointing it around, looking for any structures. He knew that the Horcrux was around here based on Voldemort's memories, but he also remembered it being inside a cave. The sea crashed violently against the rocks, just as Harry's attention was drawn over to a specific section of the cliff. He held his wand in his mouth as he swam carefully across the small amount of water separating his earlier position from where he needed to be, vaguely remembering something Voldemort knew about anti-Apparition wards around the cave.

Harry closed his eyes, partly to ignore the cold of the night air against his now damp clothes, and partly so he could remember what Voldemort knew. He felt his Rinnegan activate as he pulled Voldemort's memories to the surface. Harry waved his hand, casting a quick spell to dry himself off, before crouching down beside a small door, pulling a kunai from the weapons pouch on his leg. He quickly and efficiently sliced open his palm, dripping some blood onto a small bowl-shaped section of rock, before standing back up. He returned the kunai to his weapon's pouch, wiping the blood off of both the kunai and his hand onto his trouser leg, as the cave suddenly became visible.

Harry entered the cave cautiously, forcing his Sharingan to activate rather than his Rinnegan. He looked around the massive cave, barely able to see the walls or roof. The majority of the cave was filled with a lake, full of black water, with an island at the centre on which stood a podium. As Harry's gaze swept across the cave, he found the boat that he knew was there, Voldemort's memories proving useful in locating the invisible boat tethered at the side of the lake. As he crossed the lake, more of Voldemort's memories surfaced and Harry's mind, and he now knew that the lake was filled with Inferi and the locket was indeed on the podium, protected by a potion which would not only pain and poison the drinker, but also dehydrate them. However, they would be unable to conjure water, and taking any water from the lake would disturb the Inferi.

As the boat reached the small island, Harry climbed out, taking out a small bottle from his pocket. He walked up to podium, spotting the locket beneath the glowing green potion. Using the bottle, he took a sample of the potion, before returning the way he had come and heading back outside.

When he reached the spot at which he had Apparated in, he realised it must have been later than he thought when he arrived, or rather that he had been in the cave a long while, as the day was just beginning to dawn, the first glimmers of light peeking above the horizon. A quick _Tempus_ revealed that it was 5.50am on Saturday morning, a little over four hours before the train would leave King's Cross to return to Hogwarts after the holidays. Harry deactivated his kekkei genkai, his eyes returning back to blue, before he Apparated away, reappearing in an alleyway in London. He cast a few quick charms to clean himself up and change his clothes, as he was still dressed as a shinobi, then, once clean and in his everyday – albeit pureblood-looking – clothes, he walked through the streets of London towards Grimmauld Place.

When he arrived at his house at Grimmauld Place, he asked Kreacher to take a message to Draco, letting his boyfriend know that he hadn't gone there after the holidays as he had returned too late. He then took a brief shower and got some breakfast before heading out again, catching the Tube to King's Cross in order to meet up with Draco and head back for school. He briefly wondered about Dumbledore, as Snape had predicted he would die before the end of the academic year, but soon found his thoughts turning instead to his pending exams, both his NEWTs and the chunin exams which he would take not long afterwards, his mind becoming focussed on his upcoming studying as he travelled through London to King's Cross.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Dumbledore worsens as the exams start!**


	13. Dumbledore's Insanity

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

Harry was wandering through the secret passageways of Hogwarts. It was Sunday morning, the day before classes would start again after Easter. Harry briefly considered that it might be useful to make a map of the secret passageways, particularly as there were several that could only be accessed with parseltongue passwords, but he also wondered if there was really any point, as he knew his way around easily enough already.

A noise coming from somewhere ahead of him caused Harry to start slightly, eyes scanning for the source of the noise and soon locating a grate, at about eye level in the wall around thirty feet ahead of him. He quietly continued down the passageway, soon reaching the grate. Harry peered through, recognising Dumbledore's office even though it was a complete mess. There were papers and books strewn haphazardly all over the floor; one corner had a significant amount of broken glass; the Pensieve towards the back of the room was cracked down the side, the liquid within slowly dripping into a pool on the floor; and several of the portraits of the former Headmasters had been knocked off of the wall to the ground, the remaining ones muttering to themselves about the state of the room.

Harry thought back to the previous night, when he arrived back at school with Draco. The two of them had met up on the platform and returned to school together, with certain – ahem – activities occurring in the train compartment on the way back. They had cleaned up after themselves though, and had walked into the Great Hall at dinnertime hand-in-hand, leading to loud muttering from the Gryffindor table, as if everyone wasn't already aware of their relationship. They had sat down at the Slytherin table and greeted Pansy, Blaise and Theo, all of whom had stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays.

**_"How were your holidays?" Pansy asked._ **

**_"Fair enough", Draco responded with a shrug. Harry had been looking around the hall, so hadn't really registered the question, until Draco kicked him under the table._ **

**_"Ow – what?" Harry asked._ **

**_"You didn't have to kick him, Draco", Pansy admonished. "I was only asking about your holidays."_ **

**_"Oh – they were fine", Harry replied. "Where's Dumbledore?"_ **

**_"Yeah, he's been in his office most of the time lately", Blaise responded. "He doesn't really come out much, and no-one's allowed in, if anyone needs anything then they go to their Head of House, even if it's something that Dumbledore used to deal with."_ **

**_"Why?" Draco asked._ **

**_"Apparently he's lost it", Theo answered. "Gone completely insane."_ **

**_"Seriously?" Draco asked, looking at Harry._ ** **Guess it's that curse, _Harry thought to himself._  I would have thought he'd die when it reached his heart – maybe it's reached his brain? Or maybe he's just realised that he's going to die and he needs to sort things out – he's losing his control thanks to me getting Fudge re-elected, and I've been undermining a lot of his previous decisions lately...**

As Harry looked into Dumbledore's mess of an office, he mused to himself that any of those options could be true at that point. Suddenly, inside the office, the door that led up to Dumbledore's personal quarters opened, and the Headmaster stumbled into the room. He was wearing only dark trousers and a torn up off-white shirt that was hanging off his thin frame; he was also barefoot. In addition, Dumbledore was muttering to himself, too quietly for Harry to make out what he was saying, but his appearance told the young man that Theo really hadn't been exaggerating the previous evening.

Inside the office, Dumbledore started prodding at his decaying arm. Harry could see that the curse had now stretched up his entire right arm and over his shoulder, as well as starting to move across the old man's chest.  _Perhaps insanity is just one of the side-effects?_  Harry asked himself, before looking down as he felt a familiar movement up his right leg.

"Good morning, Maia", Harry greeted the snake, as she coiled around his leg, moving up his body to settle herself with her head on his shoulder and her body wrapped around the young man's right arm.

"What's so interesting?" she asked him. Harry motioned through the grate and she peered through.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked. She ignored him for a moment in favour of watching Dumbledore stumbling around and muttering to himself. "Maia?" Harry asked.

"You got a letter", Maia stated, still watching Dumbledore. She twisted her body so that he could see the envelope she was holding.

"Oh, thanks", Harry said, glancing into the office again before opening the letter and scanning over it.

"Anything interesting?" she asked.

"Apparently I have a seat on the board of governors as Lord Black", Harry told her. "Sirius never told me that he had one...although I suppose he wouldn't really have been able to use it...they're just writing to ask me to join them for a meeting next Saturday evening. They've noticed that Dumbledore is going insane, and want to discuss the possibility of replacing him, and who he should be replaced by."

"Isn't there some sort of deputy Headmaster?" Maia asked.

"Yeah, Professor McGonagall, but the deputy doesn't automatically get the position, as they may not be ready – or even appropriate. The Headteacher chooses the deputy, but the Headteacher is chosen by the governors, or is at least approved by them."

"I see."

"I have to go speak to someone", Harry said to Maia. "Do you want to stay here and keep watching him, or...?"

"I'll stay here, I can just move around inside the passageways if I need to go anywhere else."

"Okay then", Harry said, crouching down to let her uncoil from his arm and drop to the ground. "See you later – oh, and go to Draco's dorm whenever you're done, not back to mine."

"Sure", Maia replied, before Harry walked away, heading through the passageways down towards the dungeons.

Harry continued walking along the passageways, glad that he knew his way around the labyrinthine passages, and soon found himself coming up to what seemed to be a dead end. However, a quick hissed word in parseltongue caused the door to open a crack. Harry peered through the crack into the empty hallway and hissed again, fully opening the doorway now that he had determined there was no-one around – not that he expected many people, as it was only 10am on a Sunday morning, and the rest of the students were probably enjoying the last day of their Easter holidays.

He walked down the hallway towards Snape's office and knocked on the door, knowing that the Potions Master wouldn't still be in bed – 10am may be early for some people on a Sunday, but Harry knew that it wasn't for either himself or for Snape.

"Come in", he heard from the other side of the door.

"Good morning, Professor, do you have a moment?" Harry asked politely, noticing that Snape was standing near a few cauldrons, which likely held the Potions Master's current experiments.

"What can I do for you?" Snape asked, moving to sit down at his desk and motioning to Harry to sit down opposite him.

"I noticed Dumbledore seems to be a little under the weather", Harry stated, sitting down in the proffered seat.

"He's lasted a little longer than I first anticipated", Snape admitted. "But he's definitely deteriorating."

"Yes", Harry replied thoughtfully, thinking about the envelope in his pocket, containing the message from the other governors.

"I'm sure you didn't come all the way down here just for that", Snape said.

"Oh, sorry – I was hoping you could help me identify this poison", Harry responded, reaching into his pocket for the vial he had collected from the Horcrux cave the previous night. "It hides a Horcrux, and I can't seem to figure out what it is", he added.  _Because for some reason I don't remember,_ he added to himself,  _as if it wasn't Voldemort that even put it there..._

"I'm sure I can, but it could take me a few days, if not weeks if the poison is complicated, which can probably be expected from Voldemort...do you know anything that could make it quicker?"

"I know that it dehydrates you", Harry replied.

"For what purpose?" Harry didn't respond, merely blinking at Snape. "Right", Snape continued. "Well, that certainly narrows it down. Was there anything else?"

"Well actually...you see, Ron keeps saying I can't love Draco because I can't be gay, and I can't be gay because he wouldn't allow me to be in the same dorm as him if I were gay...I already spend most nights in the Slytherin dorm anyway, but if my things were all down there as well..."

"Well, the school rules do allow such a move if the Heads of both Houses feel that there is recourse for such a thing – do you feel that if you remained in the Gryffindor dorm you would be endangering yourself?"

"Honestly? I can handle whatever they want to throw at me, most of what they do is quite childish anyway...but, if I pretend I'm as weak as Dumbledore and the Order believe..."

"Very well, I would have to call Minerva and agree this with her – would you mind waiting while I put through a Floo call?"

"Of course not", Harry replied. Snape nodded and stood up, crossing the room over to the fireplace and kneeling down in front of it to place the call.

It only took a few minutes for Snape to finish speaking with McGonagall and stand up, dusting off his robes as he crossed the room and retook his seat.

"Professor McGonagall has agreed that it may be better, especially as she has witnessed several incidents which had actually led her to the point where she was going to suggest it to you at the beginning of your final year if things did not change. Now then, given Dumbledore's current mental faculties, you cannot actually be transferred to Slytherin, as that requires the Headteacher's approval, but you can be moved into the Slytherin dorm."

"The difference between those two being that...?"

"Had you been placed in Slytherin, I would be your Head of House and you would be free to undertake activities as a Slytherin, such as Quidditch. If you have any issues which require you to speak to your Head of House then you should still address these to Professor McGonagall, and if you wish to play Quidditch again it must be for the Gryffindor team."

"I see", Harry replied, nodding thoughtfully. "Dobby?" he called a moment later. The house elf popped into the room immediately.

"What can Dobby be doing for Master Harry?" the elf asked excitedly, practically bouncing up and down as he offered his services.

"Mr Potter is being moved into the Slytherin boys dormitory", Snape stated. "Please go with him now and help him pack his things and then Apparate Harry and his things down to the Slytherin boys dorm where Misters Malfoy, Nott and Zabini currently sleep. I will call another elf and ensure there is space for a fourth person by the time you are ready to move."

"Of course, anything for Master Harry", Dobby vowed.

"Thank you, Professor", Harry replied, giving a small bow before allowing Dobby to Apparate both of them up to his dorm.

Snape turned back to his potions, briefly wondering if Harry realised that he had bowed as he left, before another knock at the door distracted him.

"Severus, are you free?" Remus asked, leaning his head around the door.

"I'm just doing some research, very few students are out of bed as of yet after all."

"Yes, I suppose they aren't", Remus agreed, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

"Did you need something?" Snape asked.

"No, I just don't really like the quiet, so I thought if you didn't mind I could just sit down here? I won't make too much noise, I just..."

"Please feel free to sit at my desk if you have something to take up your time, but I won't be making too much noise, at least not as much as you probably are used to", Snape responded, referring to Sirius.

"I know, I just –"

"No explanation is necessary."

Up in the Gryffindor boys' dorm, Harry was packing up his things into his trunk, although he left many of his books in his backpack instead. He finished quickly, especially with Dobby's help, and soon the house elf was Apparating them down to the Slytherin boys' dorm, where the other three were just getting out of bed and getting ready for the day.

"Hey Harry, what's going on?" Theo asked.

"Moving down here, that okay with you three?"

"Fine with us", Blaise replied, and Theo nodded as well. Draco just looked at Harry for a moment before going into the bathroom, although Harry had noticed the way his boyfriend's eyes had darkened slightly at Harry's words.

"I can unpack fine, thanks Dobby", Harry dismissed the elf.

"Of course, Master Harry", the elf gushed, before bowing and Apparating away.

"Surprised McGonagall agreed", Theo commented.

"According to Snape, she not only agreed, but also revealed that she was going to suggest it to me for the next academic year."

"So you're a Slytherin now?" Blaise asked.

"No, that needs Dumbledore's approval, and that wouldn't have happened even if he was sane", Harry pointed out. "But this is my dorm now, and you guys always had room for a fourth person anyway."

"Yeah, and it's also the bed next to Draco's", Theo commented.

"Shut up and go shower", Harry responded good-naturedly.

"Are you saying I smell?"

"Are you still half-naked for another reason? Or do you just wander around in your sleep pants for fun?"

"Difficult choice", Theo said thoughtfully, before being hit in the face with a towel that Draco threw at him as the blond re-entered the room. Blaise caught the towel tossed at him, and looked at Draco questioningly, but Draco was too busy staring at Harry. The other two shared a look before going into the bathroom, saying something about needing long showers.

It would be difficult for an observer to say who moved first or furthest, as in the blink of an eye Harry and Draco went from being on opposite sides of the room to being in the middle, locked in a tight embrace with their lips firmly pressed together. Harry moaned softly as he ran his hands up Draco's bare back.

"Want to go back to bed?" Draco asked.

"Thought you'd never ask", Harry replied, allowing Draco to walk him backwards to what was now his bed. The blond pushed him down onto the bed and turned around to draw the curtains around the bed, just in case Theo or Blaise did come back in.

"Should we silence the – ah! – curtains?" Draco asked, moaning as Harry slid his hands down the back of Draco's trousers to grope his bare ass.

"Would take too long, it's not like they don't know what we're doing anyway", Harry muttered against Draco's neck, as he moved his hands round to Draco's sides, pushing down the elastic sleep pants.

"Not fair, you're properly dressed", Draco complained, as Harry pulled down Draco's trousers, leaving the blond completely naked.

"Sorry, I'll change that now", Harry said, pushing Draco backwards onto the bed, so the naked blond was sprawled across Harry's bed while Harry stood beside it, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and trousers.

Draco swallowed audibly, as Harry started giving him quite a show, kicking off his shoes and slowly removing the rest of his garments, dropping them one-by-one to the ground. Once he was completely undressed, he got onto the bed as well, kneeling over Draco's sprawled from.

"Enjoying yourself?" Harry asked, smirking at his boyfriend.

"I always do with you", Draco replied, giving Harry a matching smirk before pulling Harry down into a kiss. Harry ran his tongue over Draco's lips, and Draco gladly parted them, allowing Harry to slip his tongue inside, running it over Draco's teeth. Draco groaned and pressed his growing hardness against Harry's own hardened cock.

Harry ran his hand down Draco's chest and rubbed at the head of Draco's cock, tugging on the foreskin and coating his fingers in the precome leaking copiously from the tip.

"Ah, Harry!" Draco groaned, thrusting his hips upward.

"Patience love", Harry replied, before moving his fingers back across Draco's ass and rubbing at the tight hole between the cheeks. Draco thrust backwards against Harry's fingers and Harry relented, sliding two precome-lubed fingers into Draco's tight hole.

"Harry, please just fuck me already", Draco moaned.

"Sure you're ready?" Harry gasped, rubbing his hard cock against Draco's to relieve some of the pressure.

"Yes, just do it!"

Harry removed his fingers and lifted Draco's legs up around his waist. He thrust lightly against Draco's barely stretched hole, before guiding himself inside. Both young men moaned deeply as Harry started thrusting in and out rapidly. Draco tightened his legs around Harry's waist, moaning Harry's name as the other male sped up his thrusts in and out of Draco's body.

"Harry – fuck! – I...I can't hold – urgh, yes!"

"Me too, go ahead", Harry groaned out between thrusts.

"Fuck, yes!" Draco screamed, throwing his head back as he came in ribbons across his and Harry's stomachs. Harry moaned Draco's name in reply, filling the blond with his own come.

Harry pulled out and flopped down heavily beside Draco. He waved his hand, casting a quick wandless and wordless spell to clean up all the mess, before pulling Draco into a loose cuddle.

"Tired?" Harry asked softly.

"Well, it is Sunday – I know exams are coming up, but how about we take today off, make the most of the last day of our holidays?"

"Sounds good to me", Harry admitted, rearranging the bedcovers so that they were completely inside the bed. He also opened the curtains a small amount, so that Blaise and Theo would know that they were still there, before slowly dozing off with his boyfriend.

* * *

Classes started again on Monday morning, although they mostly seemed to be doing revision work. On Wednesday afternoon Draco and Harry now had a long free period, as they had already gotten their Apparition licenses and therefore did not need to attend the classes any more. Harry had gotten a message from Remus at breakfast time asking if Harry would come and see him during the first hour, and Harry was now on his way up to Remus' office.

Harry knocked on Remus' door before entering.

"Ah, good afternoon, Harry."

"Good afternoon, Professor, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes – Harry", Remus said, emphasising that he wanted to speak to Harry not as a teacher but as a guardian-figure. "Harry, I noticed that you've moved down to the Slytherin dorms..."

"Professors McGonagall and Snape agreed that it would be a good idea for me to be down there."

"And Albus?"

"He doesn't need to say anything when it comes to just moving dorms."

"No, but if you wanted to completely transfer into Slytherin House then he will need to agree."

"That might require sanity", Harry pointed out.

"Harry, listen...I know about what's going on with Dumbledore, and it's not like I haven't noticed all the mentions of you in the society pages of the  _Daily Prophet_ , and, although I perhaps shouldn't advocate this, I think it's a good idea for you to do this alone."

"I've said before that I don't care about your opinions of me and Draco", Harry stated, folding his arms. "And it's not like that's going to change, regardless of what you say", he added, before heading for the door.

"Harry – wait!"

"No, I'm not leaving him", Harry stated vehemently, before leaving the room and practically slamming the door behind him.

Remus sighed and leaned his head forward into his hands, his elbows on the table. A few minutes later, he heard the door open and close, before firm hands settled on his shoulders.

"I assume it went poorly?" Snape asked.

"He walked out", Remus replied, looking up at the other teeacher. "I didn't use the right words, not that he really gave me much chance to explain – he seems to have taken it that I meant he should break up with Draco, not separate himself fully from the Order."

"To be honest, he already seems to be acting without the Order anyway."

"What do you know?" Remus asked.

"I am afraid I am inside his confidences", Snape replied. "But I assure you he'll keep himself safe, he's more than capable of doing so."

"I guess. Talk to him for me next time you see him? I don't want to lose him, but I don't think he'll listen to me."

"I will", Snape promised. "But I have to get to a class now...I will see you at dinner?"

"You still joining me for dinner in my quarters?" Remus asked, standing up to face Snape.

"Of course, I will see you then", Snape replied, placing a brief chaste kiss on Remus' lips before heading out of the room and back down towards the dungeons.

* * *

"WAHHH!"

"WAHHH!"

"WAHHH!"

Naruto groaned as three loud cries broke through the previously silent night. He blinked sleepily and felt the bed move beside him, as Sasuke got out of bed and padded almost silently over to the screaming babies. Naruto switched on the bedside lamp, as Sasuke carried Itachi over to the bed. He set down Itachi in front of Naruto, then carried the other two babies over to the bed as well, before climbing back in beside Naruto. The two of them sat cross-legged, with the bedcovers over their laps and the triplets on the bed in front of them.

"Shh", Naruto said comfortingly, rubbing Jiraiya and Kushina's bellies as Sasuke picked up Itachi and rocked him gently. Soon enough, the triplets calmed down and dozed off again.

"You think they'll ever sleep through the night?" Naruto asked Sasuke, speaking quietly to avoid waking the babies again.

"Eventually", Sasuke said.

"Well why can't they get to that point already?" Naruto complained good-naturedly.

"They will", Sasuke replied, carrying the sleeping triplets back to their cot before rejoining Naruto in the bed, as the blond switched off the light and cuddled up against Sasuke's side.

"Do you think we should have kept it more of a secret?" Naruto asked.

"What?"

"Them", Naruto replied.

"It's dark, dobe."

"You have the Sharingan, teme. Besides, I thought it was obvious that I meant the triplets."

"You mean because of the Elders and Danzo?"

"Well, yeah, I –"

"Naruto, it's a little late now, don't you think? Besides, I thought you said you'd never get pregnant again."

"Yeah", Naruto said.  _Although I wanted to get you pregnant,_  Naruto added to himself,  _I don't think you'd agree to a secret pregnancy, it would mean you couldn't get annoyed at me...although, if you agree that we should have kept the triplets a secret, maybe I can change your mind, and I'm still going to have to trick you into being uke..._

" 'Night, Naruto", Sasuke replied, curling his arms around Naruto tightly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, 'night", Naruto replied, still wondering what to do as he felt Sasuke drift off beside him.

* * *

With plenty of revision to occupy their time, it wasn't long before April came to an end. At the start of May, on a Friday night, Harry returned to his new dorm and quickly got ready for bed. Before he'd been in his bed for even a few moments, he felt the bed dip slightly as Draco got in behind him.

"Have fun?" he asked.

"That sounded sarcastic", Harry retorted, as he rolled over to face his boyfriend in the dark.

"You just had a meeting with a bunch of old farts about the school, and –"

"They're not all that old, and you know how much fun I have acting all 'Slytherin' as you like to put it."

"So you manipulated them?"

"It's not like they want Dumbledore to be the Head, especially not now", Harry pointed out.

"Yeah, he fell into a coma yesterday, so..."

"One of them had spoken to the hospital, and they don't think he's going to wake up again before he dies, no-one knows a cure after all."

"So what did you do to them, how did you manipulate them then?" Draco asked.

"They need a temporary Head for the rest of the year, they were just going to make it McGonagall, but I had a better idea."

"I love it when you act all Slytherin-y", Draco muttered against Harry's lips, leaning close against him.

"I know you do", Harry muttered back, before pressing his lips against Draco's.

"So, are you going to tell me what you did?" Draco asked, pulling back from Harry.

"Why don't you convince me that I should?" Harry asked, leaning in for another kiss. Draco kissed him back deeply, wrapping his arms around Harry's waist and pulling him in closer. Harry wound his fingers in Draco's hair, pushing his tongue deeper into Draco's mouth and licking around inside. Draco moaned into Harry's mouth, and the two of them separated slowly. Harry pressed a couple more brief kisses against Draco's mouth, not really wanting to stop kissing his boyfriend.

"Tired?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, sorry", Harry replied softly.

"No problem, we can always stay in bed late tomorrow, it is a Saturday."

"And we're not really getting any homework as everything's revision", Harry added, yawning softly.

"Go to sleep", Draco said, kissing Harry's forehead and pulling the dark-haired young man against him.

" 'Kay, 'night", Harry muttered.

"Goodnight", Draco responded.

* * *

_Naruto and Sasuke,_

_I hope the triplets are doing well, and you as well, I hope you're feeling better after giving birth Naruto._

_I will be back in Konoha on Saturday 5th July to Sunday 6th July, I'm not sure exactly when, but it'll be around that time. I can Apparate straight into the Uchiha District if that's okay with you?_

_Hope you're both doing well, and I'll talk to you soon,_

_Harry_

Harry tied the letter carefully around Maia's tail.

"Okay, take this to Naruto and Sasuke please", he said to her.

"No problem", she replied, before popping away in a puff of smoke. Harry pulled back the curtains around his bed, which he had left closed while he was sending the message. He blinked at the bright light streaming in through the windows, surprised that the others were all up, as it was still fairly early on Sunday morning.

"Morning, sleepyhead", Draco said, entering the room from the bathroom, wearing only a towel.

"I was writing to my brothers", Harry explained. "How come everyone's up already?"

"Professor Snape dropped by our exam timetables", Draco explained. "Better than last year, as we have less exams and they're more spread out, but still..."

"Yeah", Harry agreed. "Do you have mine?"

"On your desk", Draco replied. Harry wandered over to look at it.

_EXAMINATIONS FOR NEWT STUDENTS – HARRY JAMES POTTER_

_Monday May 19th (afternoon) – Care of Magical Creatures (written)_

_Wednesday May 21st (morning) – Defence Against the Dark Arts (practical)_

_Monday May 26th (morning) – Care of Magical Creatures (practical)_

_Wednesday May 28th (morning) – Defence Against the Dark Arts (written)_

_Friday May 30th (afternoon) – Charms (written)_

_Monday June 2nd (afternoon) – Herbology (written)_

_Thursday June 6th (all day) – Potions (practical)_

_Tuesday June 10th (morning) – Transfiguration (written)_

_Monday June 16th (morning) – Potions (written)_

_Thursday June 19th (afternoon) – Arithmancy (written)_

_Wednesday June 25th (afternoon) – Transfiguration (practical)_

_Monday June 30th (morning) – Herbology (practical)_

_Thursday July 3rd (afternoon) – Charms (practical)_

"How different is yours?" Harry asked Draco, who was getting dressed on the other side of the room.

"I don't have your Arithmancy one, obviously, and my Ancient History exam is on the 4th of July, so I have a long break at the point when you have Arithmancy, and then I have two exams one after another at the very end, so I also finish after you do."

"Not too bad then", Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, as long as you don't say anything on the last Thursday about being done when the rest of us have an exam", Theo commented, as he came into the room.

"Everyone but me?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, it looks like that last day has Ancient History, Runes and Art, so we all have an exam", Theo responded.

"Okay, I get it, I won't say anything", Harry said, grabbing a towel and heading into the bathroom to shower and get dressed.

It didn't take long for him to get ready for the day, and Harry grabbed a bag he had sorted the night before and headed out of the dorm towards the Potions classroom. He walked a little way past it and knocked on the door to Snape's office, entering when he heard a response from inside.

"Good morning Professor", he greeted Snape.

"Good morning Mr Potter, I trust you received your exam timetable."

"I did, yes, how are things going with that poison?"

"Straight to business as usual", Snape commented.

"I'm the only one without an exam on the final day, so I was going to return to the location then, I'll need the antidote to do that", Harry explained.

"I see. Well, I have determined the identity of the poison, but brewing an antidote will take a while."

"We have a couple of months still, is that enough time?"

"It should be, yes. May I ask how you are proceeding with the other Horcruxes?"

"I know the location of one, but the other is unfortunately Nagini, who hasn't yet been found. Although, the Minister will contact me when she is found."

"Very well, I will let you know once I have determined the antidote."

"Can I help at all?" Harry asked.

"I doubt it", Snape replied with a knowing smirk.

"Fair enough", Harry nodded, heading towards the door. "Oh, and by the way, you do realise that, even though you're only temporary – for now – you can use the Headmaster's office?"

"Yes, but it looks better if I say that I still consider Albus to be the Headmaster, even if that's not exactly true", Snape replied. "And what do you mean by 'for now'?"

"Well, I am one of the school's governors, and I think you're doing a much better job as Headmaster than the current – soon to be previous – occupant, so expect to be made the permanent Headmaster as soon as he's dead. Or at least after a reasonable period of mourning."

"You are only one governor though, the rest –"

"The rest mostly agree with me, and I'm also looking for a way to have the Malfoy name reinstated as one of the governors, and Draco will definitely agree with me."

"I suppose he will", Snape responded. "Now, I have work to be doing, and I'm sure you have revision to be doing Mr Potter, exams start in two weeks."

"Of course, thank you for your help, Headmaster", Harry said, before exiting the office and returning to his dorm to start revising, leaving Snape to continue working on the antidote.

* * *

Naruto yawned widely as he flopped forwards onto the bed. Sasuke entered the room behind him and sat down beside him.

"Should we move the triplets up here to their cot?" Sasuke asked.

"They're asleep, just leave them in the cot downstairs."

"Well, if they're downstairs and we're up here..." Sasuke trailed off, running his fingers lightly across the back of Naruto's neck.

"Not now Sasuke, I'm tired", Naruto muttered, face still buried in the bedcovers.

"Naruto, I was gone for several months before you gave birth, and it's been a month and a half since you gave birth –"

"Yeah, and for a month and a half I haven't had more than a couple of hours sleep a day, so if they're asleep then I'm going to do the same, even if it is the middle of the morning."

"Fine", Sasuke replied curtly. "I'll be outside training."

"Sasuke – I'm sorry, I'm just so tired lately", Naruto apologised.

"It's not your fault, it would just be good if we could have a break", Sasuke responded, winding his fingers in Naruto's hair for a moment, comforting him.

Suddenly, both shinobi started at a knock on the front door, which was soon followed by loud crying from downstairs.

"I thought we told the three of them not to knock", Naruto complained.

"Perhaps it's someone else?" Sasuke suggested, getting up and heading downstairs. Naruto groaned as he pulled himself from the bed and followed Sasuke down the stairs to the front door, while Sasuke headed into the living room where the other cot was, which the babies had been sleeping in until the knock at the door.

"Good morning Naruto", Hinata greeted him, as he opened the front door.

"Morning, Hinata, come in, I just have to help Sasuke with the babies."

"I'm sorry for waking them", she continued softly, closing the door behind her and following Naruto into the living room, where he picked up Kushina while Sasuke held Itachi. Hinata entered the room and looked down at Jiraiya.

"It's not your fault, they wake up easily", Naruto said to her.

"Can I pick him up?" she asked. Naruto nodded in reply, pretending not to notice Sasuke's Sharingan activate. Hinata picked him up and rocked him gently.

"Did you actually want something?" Sasuke asked her, somewhat rudely. Naruto glared at him for a moment, before realising it was useless to be annoyed at Sasuke for behaving as he usually did.

"Tsunade-sama suggested I look after them for a few days so you could have a break, and I thought it would be a good idea, if it's okay with you", Hinata replied.

"And how exactly are you qualified to take care of our children?" Sasuke asked menacingly, red and black glare levelling on Hinata.

"Are you sure you can handle all three of them, even for only a couple of days?" Naruto asked.

"Sakura and Ino said that they would help around their work, and so did Sai and Kiba", Hinata said.

"I'm not sure I want any of you –" Sasuke began.

"The girls are fine, but Sai won't really know what he's doing, so if he does help keep an eye on him, and the same for Kiba. Although, Sai will probably read a load of books beforehand, so..." Naruto trailed off.

"Is it okay then?" Hinata asked.

"I don't see why not, and we could use the break, right Sasuke?" Naruto asked, looking pointedly at his boyfriend.

"Hn", Sasuke grunted, before setting down Itachi, who had now fallen back asleep. "I'll go pack", he added, as he headed upstairs.

"That's the best you'll get", Naruto pointed out, as he set down Kushina beside Itachi, and Hinata did the same with Jiraiya. "I'll just write you some instructions if that's okay..." he trailed off, looking around for some paper and a pen.

Sasuke came downstairs with a couple of bags around half an hour later, finding Naruto still writing Hinata's instructions. He waited for Naruto to finish and handed Naruto one of the backpacks, putting his own on and heading for the door after saying goodbye to the triplets. Naruto said goodbye to Hinata, who handed Naruto an envelope just before the blond said good bye to the babies and followed Sasuke out of the house. Sasuke did not miss the opportunity to give Hinata one final glare as the door closed behind them.

"What's in the envelope?" Sasuke asked Naruto, as they walked through the Uchiha District.

"Hmm? Oh, hold on", Naruto said, opening the envelope and scanning the contents. "It's from Tsunade-baa-chan, she's gotten us a room at a hot spring in the next town over, and you have permission to leave the village for it. We can spend three days there and come back on the fourth. She'll handle my workload until then. That sounds good, right?"

"Hn", Sasuke grunted in reply, while Naruto just smiled widely as he tucked the letter back into the envelope and put the envelope in his pocket, the two young men heading towards the village gates so that they could head on to the next town over.

* * *

Later that evening, Naruto was sat in a small closed off area of the hot springs, which was attached to his and Sasuke's room, allowing them privacy. The door between their room and the outdoor area where he was slid open, and Sasuke stepped out.

"Having fun?" he asked Naruto with a smirk.

"It's so quiet", Naruto sighed, leaning his head back. Sasuke sat down on the side of the pool, his legs on either side of Naruto's head so that his feet were under the water near Naruto's shoulders. He looked down at Naruto, who responded by blinking up at him sleepily.

"Still tired?" he asked.

"Yeah", Naruto sighed. "Speaking of which, do you think that the triplets –"

"Weren't you the one who said that Hinata would be fine with them?"

"Yeah, but –"

"They're fine, and we're alone", Sasuke pointed out, slipping off the robe he was wearing and sliding forwards, pushing Naruto forwards so that he could fit into the pool behind him.

"Sasuke, what –"

"We are alone", Sasuke repeated, emphasising each word before pressing his lips hard against Naruto's, pulling the blond's head back and curling his arm around Naruto's waist. Naruto moaned into Sasuke's mouth as their tongues battled against each other and Sasuke pulled Naruto's back against his own stomach. Sasuke ran his hand down the tanned stomach in front of him, right down until he could press his palm flat against Naruto's growing hardness. The blond started, moaning and pressing himself forwards against Sasuke's palm and backwards against Sasuke's body.

"Sasuke, more", Naruto gasped, thrusting himself rhythmically against Sasuke's hand.

"More of what?" Sasuke asked, smirking before leaning down to press a line of kisses along Naruto's shoulder and neck.

"Just more", Naruto gasped, before turning around so that he could press his aching erection against Sasuke's growing need.

Both young men groaned, and Sasuke reached his hand down again, this time curling it around both of their erections and jerking them both slowly.

"Urgh, Sasuke", Naruto groaned, leaning his forehead against Sasuke's.

"Want more?" Sasuke muttered breathily.

"Y-yes", Naruto moaned brokenly, as Sasuke's hand sped up. He moaned again as Sasuke reached his other hand around and ran one finger inside Naruto's hole, which had been loosened slightly by the warm water. He wiggled it around inside his boyfriend, before adding a second finger, simultaneously speeding up the hand on his and Naruto's cocks. He felt Naruto tense up, kissing the blond deeply to stifle the scream he knew would emerge when Naruto came. Sasuke sped up both of his hands even further, roughly abusing Naruto's prostrate as he jerked both of them to completion. Naruto came hard into the water, and Sasuke soon followed, groaning into Naruto's mouth, which had gone lax as the blond came.

Sasuke slowly slid his fingers from Naruto's hole and released their cocks from his grip, allowing Naruto to slump forward against me.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked.

"Shuddup, I can hear the smirk", Naruto mumbled against Sasuke's chest, already starting to fall asleep.

"Come on, let's go to bed", Sasuke said encouragingly.

"Sasuke, m'tired", Naruto mumbled again.

"Shh, dobe, come on", Sasuke said soothingly, pulling himself out of the water. Naruto did the same, pulling himself out slowly then immediately slumping forwards against Sasuke, drifting off even while standing. Sasuke smirked again before turning around and lifting Naruto up in his arms.

"Sasuke, put me down!" Naruto complained, although the tiredness was still obvious in his voice.

"Just be quiet, usuratonkachi, if you wake up the other guests then we might have to leave early."

"Then put me down!"

"Fine", Sasuke shrugged, tossing Naruto onto the bed.

"Hate you, teme", Naruto muttered, shifting on the bed and getting comfortable.

"No you don't", Sasuke responded, climbing in beside him and cuddling him close.

"Do too. Prove it tomorrow", Naruto muttered, slipping off to sleep before Sasuke could respond.

"Well, that could be interesting", Sasuke smirked, before falling asleep as well beside his boyfriend.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Exams and a Horcrux!**


	14. Another Horcrux? Or Not?

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke stayed at the hot springs for a few days before they returned to Konoha. As they re-entered the Uchiha District, Naruto noted how fast Sasuke was walking:

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"The babies", Sasuke replied.

"Yeah, I missed them too", Naruto sighed.

"Yeah, that too."

"What do you mean 'that too'?"

"Hn", Sasuke grunted in response, as he opened the door to their house.

"Welcome home", Hinata said softly, as Sasuke and Naruto entered the kitchen.

"Where are they?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke", Naruto admonished, swatting Sasuke's arm.

"It's okay, they're asleep upstairs", Hinata replied. Sasuke walked past her and up the stairs.

"Sorry", Naruto apologised. "He just missed them..."

"I know", Hinata responded, making it clear that she knew what Sasuke was like and understood, not that she actually believed Naruto's poor excuse.

"Was everything okay with them?" Naruto asked, as Hinata started gathering her things.

"They were fine", Hinata replied. "How was your trip?"

"Er – fine", Naruto blushed. "We had a lot of – er – fun...so how are things going for the chunin exams?" he asked, rapidly changing the subject.

"Everything seems to be going well, Sasuke is taking part, isn't he?"

"Yeah, and so's your sister, right?"

"Yes, should I be worried that she might face Sasuke?" Hinata joked.

"Don't worry, until the final tournament the exams have been set up in a way to avoid that sort of thing, but the final tournament is going to be random, so I suppose they might do...I'm sure she can handle it though."

"I guess we'll see", Hinata replied. "Anyway, I'll let you and Sasuke get settled back in."

"Okay, thanks so much for the last few days", Naruto said, waving goodbye to Hinata as she left the house.

He went upstairs and entered their bedroom, where Sasuke was looking down at the sleeping triplets in their cot.

"You know, anyone else would think you were going soft", Naruto commented.

"Haven't I spent the last few days proving to you that I am in no way soft?" Sasuke smirked.

"Are you trying to get my pregnant again?" Naruto joked.

"I think three is enough for now, besides, if we ever do have more we should definitely consider keeping it at least somewhat of a secret", Sasuke sighed.

"You're right, the Elders and Danzo...they already think you're using me to build an army", Naruto replied.  _Although I still want to get you pregnant,_ Naruto added to himself.  _After all, now I know you'll agree to keeping it a secret, at least to some extent. And maybe then we can have another girl and make it two and two..._

* * *

With the start of the exams, the students at Hogwarts barely noticed as May slipped away and the weather warmed as June began. It was now the middle of June and a Saturday afternoon, and Harry was with Neville, Luna, Theo and Pansy in the stands around the Quidditch pitch, watching the final match of the year, and also the one which would decide the winner of the Quidditch Cup for the year. Hermione was with the majority of the other Gryffindors on the opposite side of the pitch.

"I think Granger is glaring at you", Pansy commented.

"I figured", Harry replied. "I think they're annoyed that I moved dorms."

"Well if you think you're safer down there..." Neville trailed off.

"Or if you'd just rather be there for certain...other reasons", Pansy suggested, looking towards where Draco was sitting on his broom, positioned some way above the other players as he kept an eye out for the Snitch.

"Shut up", Harry said to her good-naturedly.

"Guess I'm right then", Pansy smirked.

"How are you all doing with your exams?" Luna asked, changing the subject.

"Okay I guess", Theo replied.

"Yeah, at least we're more than halfway through", Neville added. "And we have a break for a while, I have no exams next week."

"I'm free until Friday, then I have Muggle Art", Pansy said.

"Yeah, I just have Arithmancy on Thursday", Theo agreed.

"That doesn't sound too bad then, I have two exams next week", Luna stated.

"Me too, Potions on Monday and Arithmancy with Theo on Thursday", Harry added.

Their conversation was interrupted as a loud cheer erupted from the Slytherins behind them, as Draco swooped downwards, presumably having noticed the Snitch, Ginny hot on his tail as the Gryffindor Seeker. Opposite the cheering Slytherins, the Gryffindors started as well, cheering Ginny on and encouraging her to get past Draco.

"She can't see it", Harry said, having to shout so the others would hear him.

"See what?" Pansy shouted back.

"The Snitch, she can't see it, she's just following Draco, and –" Harry cut himself off as he saw the action on the pitch below him. Having dived downwards towards the ground, Draco had pulled up just before he hit, pulling his broom up and shooting off upwards. Ginny hadn't expected this, and couldn't keep up, instead colliding with the floor. Meanwhile, Draco flew off after the Snitch, which was hovering on the other side of the pitch, and caught it without opposition, as Ginny was still on the ground and separated from her broom. As the Slytherin victory was announced, the cheering behind Harry and his friends got even louder, while the Gryffindors merely began dispersing, grumbling as they headed off back to their common room, while Hermione joined the rest of the team on the pitch, partly to console them and partly to check on Ginny. Above the pitch, the Slytherin team circled in a victory lap, before dropping down to the ground and dismounting. As some of the Slytherins from the stands behind Harry began heading down towards the pitch, Harry and his friends followed suit, all of them enjoying this last match of the year, with only a few more weeks of exams left until their summer holidays, which for most of them would be their last summer holiday, as many of them would be graduating the following year.

* * *

The exams continued for the whole of June, and before anyone really noticed, it had suddenly become July. On the first Thursday of July, almost all of the sixth years were in the same exam, their Charms practical. The exam was an afternoon one, so it was almost dinnertime when they all were finally done. Harry, Draco, Theo, Pansy and Blaise all returned to the Slytherin dorm, and Harry flopped down onto the couch, the others all sitting down as well.

"You don't get to flop", Draco commented, leaning against Harry.

"Yeah, you're done", Theo pointed out.

"So?" Harry asked.

"So the rest of us have an exam tomorrow", Pansy replied.

"Or two", Theo added.

"You do realise that I've had just as many exams as you guys, I just happen to have finished already", Harry stated.

"I know, but still...", Draco trailed off, cuddling closer against Harry, who put his arm around his boyfriend in response.

"I guess we should all get on with revision", Blaise suggested, getting up from where he had sat in one of the armchairs.

Everyone except Harry got up as well, all of them giving Harry a dirty look.

"Fine, I get it", Harry held his hands up. "I have something to take care of anyway, so I'll see you guys later."

"Everything okay?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, just something I have to sort out before the summer holidays start."

"I still can't believe that the summer starts on Saturday, I know hanging around for a week is annoying, but leaving the day after our last exam...", Pansy trailed off.

"Just quickly pack tonight", Harry suggested.

"Yeah, then we'll still have time for alcohol tomorrow", Draco added.

"Yes, alcohol, let's all look forward to that", Theo said, as he looked at the pile of books in front of him.

"Alright, well I'll see you guys later", Harry said, heading for the door. He got a combination of grunts and waves in reply as he left the Slytherin common room and headed down through the dungeons towards Snape's office.

When he reached the Potions Master's office, he knocked before entering, finding Remus in the office as well as Snape.

"Good afternoon, Mr Potter, how are your exams going?"

"They're finished", Harry replied, looking suspiciously at Remus.

"Harry –" Remus began.

"Perhaps I should come back later", Harry said abruptly, not allowing Remus to speak to him.

"There's no need for that, I know what you are here for, and there is no reason why Remus cannot be told."

"You've told him?" Harry asked, eyes narrowing.

"No, he hasn't", Remus replied for Snape. "But if it's something I can help with –"

"You mean so that you can tell the Order?"

"Harry...the last time we spoke, when I said that you may be better off 'doing it alone' –"

"Draco and I –"

"Harry, I was referring to the Order", Remus interrupted. "I didn't mean that you and Draco should split up, I meant that you should consider that the Order isn't necessarily the best thing for you."

"Really?" Harry asked, still unsure about whether or not he should believe Remus.

"Yes", Remus sighed.

"Fine...well, sorry, but every Gryffindor does seem to want me and Draco separated."

"He's not exactly like every other Gryffindor", Snape commented. Remus blushed at the compliment. Harry looked between the two of them, instantly realising that the two of them were together.

"Okay then...", Harry said, somewhat uncomfortable. "Er, Professor, I need that potion..."

"Yes", Snape said, heading over to the cauldrons at one side of the room. The second one is just finishing now."

"The second one?" Harry asked.

"The poison is complex and so is the antidote – you need to take one potion before you drink the poison, then the other afterwards", Snape replied. "It should just be a few more moments."

"I take it this is for a Horcrux?" Remus asked. Harry paused for a second, before simply responding:

"Yes."

"Okay", Remus nodded, accepting the one-word answer. On the other side of the room, Snape was just putting the potion into a vial, ready for Harry. He put a label on it and wrote on the number two. He then handed it to Harry, along with a second vial which was on his desk, labelled with the number one.

"I wonder which one I take first", Harry deadpanned.

"Yes, well, I believe it is just about dinnertime", Snape hinted.

"Thanks for the potions", Harry said, pocketing them both, "Are you heading for the Great Hall?"

"No", Snape replied.

"Oh...Oh, I see, er – sorry for interrupting your, well, whatever this is", Harry responded, heading towards the door.

"Harry, I would like to speak to you before the holidays start, if that's okay?" Remus asked.

"Sure", Harry nodded, making Remus smile in response, before Harry left the office and headed up towards the Great Hall, leaving Snape and Remus to their date.

Harry entered the Great Hall and headed over to the Slytherin table to sit down. The others soon joined him.

"How's the revision going?" he asked them, receiving only groans in response.

"Remember when we got our exam timetables?" Draco asked him. "Didn't I say you weren't allowed to make comments about being done today?"

"I'm not, I'm honestly asking how you're doing", Harry pointed out.

"Well, quit it", Pansy said.

"Fine", Harry sighed, relenting.

Their attention was drawn to the front of the room, as one of the Professors tapped a glass to call for attention. Everyone quietened down, although many people were somewhat confused, as announcements generally only happened at the beginning of the year or at the beginning of the term at most, and the final dinner before the summer wasn't until the following day. At the teacher's table, Professor Snape stood up:

"I'm afraid I have some upsetting news to report. Late last night, Professor Dumbledore, who as you all know has been ill for some time, died."

A murmur went up throughout the Great Hall, before Snape continued:

"The funeral will be held here on Saturday afternoon, so that all the students may attend if they so wish. The Hogwarts Express will run twice, once on Saturday for anyone who must leave then, and again on Sunday for anyone who remains for the funeral. Attendance is not mandatory, as I know some students may have other commitments, such as jobs for the older students, but the option is available for any of you who wish to stay. That is all", he concluded, sitting back down. Harry looked at Snape for a moment, briefly wondering if the Professor actually cared about Dumbledore's death, before reaching for some food and filling up his plate.

"Well, I guess it was going to happen sooner or later", Blaise said.

"Yeah, but why now?" Harry asked.

"You sound like you wanted him to live", Pansy pointed out.

"No, it's not that, it's just – you know how Snape said about 'jobs'? Well, he was referring to me, or at least including me in that statement. I do have to leave on Saturday morning."

"So leave", Theo stated. "It's not like anyone whose opinion you care about will be bothered by you not being there."

"Would it help if some of us left us well?" Draco suggested.

"Maybe some of them, but not you", Harry replied. "I'm trying to get your family name reinstated as a school governor, so you need to at least pretend to care. And then you could say that you're there on my behalf as well."

"I can do that", Draco nodded.

"My mother really won't care about Dumbledore", Blaise said. "So I can leave on Saturday with you."

"Me too", Theo agreed.

"Want me to stay then?" Pansy asked Draco. "So you don't have to suffer alone?"

"Thanks", Draco responded gratefully.

"I guess you guys feel better now", Harry commented.

"What do you mean?" Theo asked.

"Well, all the exams tomorrow will be fine – they can't be cancelled, but you can probably get some sort of adjustment to them, say that you feel bereaved and they'll keep that in mind when marking you."

"That's true", Pansy agreed, smirking. The others all had similar looks on their faces as they continued eating dinner, the Gryffindors on the other side of the room glaring at them as they sat in misery, mourning the loss of their leader.

* * *

The following morning, Harry, Draco and Blaise were doing some packing in their dorm, while Theo was in a morning exam.

"Does Theo have the same exam as you this afternoon?" Harry asked the other two.

"No, we all have different exams, but they're all written", Blaise replied.

"We're meeting Theo in the library for some last-minute revision before lunch and our afternoon exam", Draco added. "Want to join us?"

"So you can all glare at me for being done for the year?" Harry responded sarcastically. "Thanks, I think I'll pass and just pack slower", he continued.

"Actually, we should probably get going, Theo's exam was only 90 minutes, not like our two-hour one this afternoon", Blaise pointed out.

"Okay", Draco agreed, going to kiss Harry, who happily responded.

"Good luck, and I'll see you back here around 3.30 to 4?" Harry asked.

"Something like that, our exam is 1.30 to 3.30, but it's not like we'll actually get out of it on time", Draco replied.

"Okay, see you later", Harry said, as the other two headed out the door.  _After all, I'm not going to tell you I'm going after a Horcrux,_  Harry added to himself, _you'll only worry, and I'm not making you worry when you have an exam today._

After the two of them had left the dorm, Harry waited a few minutes, just to make sure they wouldn't come back having forgotten anything, then changed clothes, dressing in the armour vest, shirt and multiple-pocket trousers he wore as a shinobi. Out of habit, he tied his hitai-ate around his left bicep, and also slung his bow on his back. Harry attached his weapons pouch to his right leg, and then another pouch to his left, which held the two potions he needed as an antidote to the poison guarding the Horcrux.

"You didn't tell him?" Maia hissed in Japanese, emerging from under Harry's bed.

"He has an exam to focus on, and with Voldemort's memories I know what I'm up against, especially now I have the antidote to the poison."

"I'm surprised you didn't know the poison from his memories."

"Voldemort invented it, so I know how to make it, but it doesn't have a name, and as it's basically unknown I'd still have needed Snape for the antidote, even though I do know how to make the actual poison."

"I see. Do you want me to come with you?" Maia asked.

"If you want, but I don't know if I'll need you, so you may be bored."

"Either I come with you or I stay here, under your bed, sleeping."

"Well, come on then", Harry said, crouching down and allowing her to wind herself around his arm, her head resting on his shoulder.

"How are you planning on getting there unseen?" she asked.

"There are loads of ways out of the castle", Harry replied cryptically, pulling on his black robes to cover his shinobi outfit, as well as to cover Maia. He then headed out of the dorm and through the common room.

In the corridor, Harry headed down past the Potions classroom and Snape's office. He rounded a corner, to what seemed like a dead-end, but a hissed word in Parseltongue revealed an entrance to a secret passageway. He walked down the secret passageway, and, about halfway down, he hissed another word, a second door opening. Inside was a staircase, which he followed down, ending up in the Chamber of Secrets.

"Interesting place", Maia commented, poking her head out of Harry's robes.

"It was built by one of the founders, whose House is now symbolised by a snake. He also had the same ability to speak to snakes that I have."

"Is it like a kekkei genkai?" she asked.

"Sort of, but my ability comes from being attacked by Voldemort when I was a baby. And I'm not sure everyone has it, it's supposed to be incredibly rare, so perhaps it's a kekkei genkai that only certain people can activate?"

"Not everyone on a bloodline develops the kekkei genkai of that bloodline – if they did then kekkei genkai would never evolve."

" 'Evolve'?" Harry repeated.

"The Rinnegan, which you have, is the precursor to the Sharingan and the Byakugan", Maia explained.

"Given what people seem to think of the Rinnegan, that seems more like devolving", Harry commented, as he headed up a staircase in a different section of the Chamber of Secrets, entering another secret passageway.

"This seems like a long way to go", Maia pointed out.

"Yes, but it's better than anyone seeing me", Harry responded, as he opened another passageway. "And we're almost there – this passageway leads along to a place in Hogsmeade called the 'Shrieking Shack'. This passageway is normally entered from underneath a tree on the school grounds, but I found this entrance halfway along. Once we get into the Shack we're off school grounds, so I can Apparate, and I can also leave my robes there – I'm wearing what I am for a reason after all."

Having entered partway along the passageway from the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack, it didn't take long for Harry to reach the Shack. As the two of them entered the dilapidated house, Maia tightened herself on Harry's arm as he removed his robes, folding them over a nearby chair.

"I see why no-one comes here", she commented.

"One of the current professors at the school is a werewolf, so he uses this place to transform. I think that may also be how it earned his name, as people in the village nearby would have heard his howls, but would also believe the place to be abandoned."

"Are you sure he won't come here?"

"We should be back before night-time. And I checked, the next full moon isn't for almost two weeks, so there's no real reason for him to be here. And, if they really want to try to be annoyed at me, I can just point out that I'm allowed to leave the school every now and again anyway, regardless of the fact that the school holidays begin tomorrow."

"You aren't staying for the funeral then?"

"If it's anything like last time, I'll probably be tired after I destroy this Horcrux, especially as I have to drink that poison, even if I do have the antidote. I doubt I'd be able to go even if I hadn't already planned to go back to Konoha. Anyway, I'm about to Apparate, so don't let go of my arm, okay?"

"Okay", she replied, tightening her grip as Harry Apparated them from the Shack to the coast near the cave.

Harry looked around, noting that the place looked different from the last time he had been there, although this may be as it was the middle of the day rather than the middle of the night. The sea crashed against the rocks as he carefully swam across to the cave entrance, Maia holding tight into his arm. Harry muttered a quick spell to dry his clothes, as well as Maia, and drew a kunai from his weapons pouch as he headed over towards the secret door. He ran the kunai across his palm to leave the blood-offering required for the secret entrance, then muttered another spell to stop the bleeding, in case it attracted the Inferi in the pool of water.

Entering the cave, Harry threw a ball of light into the air to light up the entire cave. He easily got across the lake and climbed up to the basin where the poison was sitting, glowing eerily green with the locket lying beneath it, just visible through the green potion.

"Well, here goes nothing", Harry muttered, half for himself and half for Maia, as he reached down to retrieve the first part of the antidote. He undid the cork and swallowed it down quickly, ignoring the burnt cinnamon after-taste, as he got out the second potion, ready for after he had drunk the poison.

"You have to drink all of it?" Maia asked.

"Yeah, the locket is in an indented part of the basin, I need to drink all the liquid in order to reach the locket, and I can't reach through the poison, it won't work."

"Good luck", Maia shrugged.

"Thanks for your concern", Harry deadpanned. He sighed to himself, before picking up the crystal goblet and scooping up some of the potion. He held his breath as he downed the potion, gulping it down.

Several cups later, Harry was gripping the sides of the basin, knuckles turning white as he tried to fight through the pain shooting through his body, as images flashed through his mind, some real, some manifestations of his worries and fears.

"Harry?" Maia asked.

"What?" Harry grunted out.

"Can I help in any way?"

"Distract me somehow?" Harry suggested.

"Okay", Maia shrugged, before sinking her fangs into his shoulder. Harry grunted as she released his shoulder, reaching up to rub the small wound. "Better?" she asked.

"Distracted me from the images running through my mind, not really the pain though", Harry pointed out. "But I don't think there's anything you can do about that", he added, before downing another cupful of the poison.

As a massive jolt of pain wracked his body, Harry slipped to the ground. Maia unwound herself from his arm and moved up the pediment to look down into the basin.

"There's not much left", she told him.

"I know, I just need a moment", Harry responded breathily, trying to fight through the pain.

After a moment, he slowly pulled himself up to his feet, using the basin to hold himself up as he scooped up the last bit of the potion. He swallowed the last of it down, before falling back down to the floor, feeling like his insides were on fire. Remembering what Harry had told her earlier, Maia retrieved the second potion from where it was sitting on the side of the basin. She moved back down to where Harry was half lying on the ground, leaning on the pediment, and used her teeth to uncork the bottle. Coiling her tail around the bottle, she manoeuvred herself so that she could pour the contents into Harry's mouth. He gagged slightly, but managed to swallow it, and instantly felt better, as the pain ebbed away, and the hallucinations ceased as well.

"Better?" Maia asked.

"Yeah", Harry panted out. "Thanks."

"No problem", she shrugged.

Harry slowly stood up and looked into the basin, now empty except for the locket. He drew his wand, levitating the locket, trying to avoid dropping it as small tremors still passed through his body, as the antidote continued to work against the vast amount of poison in his system. With his wand in one hand, levitating the locket, he took out a small drawstring bag, so that he could avoid touching the Horcrux. However, as another tremor moved through his body, his arm slipped and the Horcrux fell to the ground, a crack sounding as the locket opened.

Harry looked worriedly at the locket, but soon realised that something was wrong. He activated his Sharingan, and a quick look at the locket quickly revealed that it wasn't really the Horcrux, with no energy around the locket at all. He bent down to examine where it had split open, and inside found a slip of paper:

_To the Dark Lord. I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B._

"What does it say?" Maia asked.

"It isn't the real Horcrux, someone else already stole it."

"You didn't know?"

"I have Voldemort's memories, obviously Voldemort never knew about this. I wonder who R.A.B. is?"

"The person who did it?"

"Yeah, but I don't know who it could be. I wonder if Draco will..."

"You'll have to tell him you were here", Maia pointed out.

"I was always going to, I just didn't want to worry him during his exam. Speaking of which, we should probably get going."

"Okay", Maia agreed, coiling herself around his arm, as he pocketed the locket, slip of paper, drawstring bag and his wand. He used chakra control to walk back across the water, keeping a close eye on the Inferi not far beneath him. Harry easily exited the cave and blocked it off again, not wanting anyone to get in and be injured by the Inferi. Swimming across the small channel of water got him far enough from the cave's defences to Apparate, and he soon found himself back in the Shrieking Shack.

Harry sat down heavily on the creaky bed in the Shack, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, feeling his body and Snape's potions working together to fight off the poison he had drank.

"Harry?" he heard from the entrance to the room. He blinked his eyes open and saw Remus entering the room.

"Hi", he replied.

"I won't pry, but I do want to ask..."

"Please don't", Harry said. "Sorry, but I have to –"

"Harry, just be careful, okay?" Remus asked.

"I am", Harry replied. "And I think your boyfriend can vouch for that as well", he added knowingly.

"Er, yeah, about that..." Remus trailed off, blushing.

"Not my business, and I don't think I want to hear it anyway", Harry said, holding his hands up. He headed off down the corridor. "Have a good summer", he called back to Remus, as he slowly walked back towards Hogwarts.

* * *

Harry managed to get back to the dorm before any of the others did, but not by much, as they all re-entered the room while we he was in the shower. He came back into the room in a towel.

"How was it then?" he asked the three of them.

"Fine enough", Theo replied. "And, at least now we're done for the year", he added.

"Yes we are", Draco added, staring at Harry's chest, still wet from the shower.

"I'm just going to get dressed", Harry said, closing the curtains around his bed.

"I'll just go help him", Draco said, Theo and Blaise sharing a look in response before leaving the room, as Draco slipped through the closed curtains and immediately pushed Harry down onto the bed.

"Draco –"

"Well you shouldn't walk around half naked then, should you?"

"I just had a shower!"

"Well don't shower in the middle of the day then!"

"I just got back – er..." Harry trailed off, realising what he had said.

" 'Back'?" Draco repeated suspiciously.

"Okay...don't get annoyed, I didn't want to distract you from your exam, but...I went after a Horcrux."

"So much for sex, if it's anything like last time", Draco grumbled.

"Actually, someone got there first", Harry sighed, sitting down on the bed. Draco sat down beside him. "It's taken me long enough to get through the potion around it, and I am a little tired from drinking poison – don't worry, I sorted the antidotes before I went, I'm fine, just tired – but anyway, I finally got the thing and it's not even a Horcrux, it's a fake. Someone else got there first, took the real one, and left a fake one behind."

"Who?" Draco asked, as Harry flopped backwards on the bed.

"R.A.B. Whoever that is."

"I see."

Draco looked down at Harry, flopped onto the bed, and moved, straddling the semi-naked young man, his knees on either side of Harry's waist.

"When are you going back to Konoha?"

"In the morning, I did say so before."

"I know, just checking it hadn't changed", Draco said, toying with the knot in the towel, the only thing preventing his boyfriend from being completely naked beneath him.

"Draco..."

"We're done all the exams, we're done for the year, and tomorrow you're leaving and I won't see you for close on two months...so stop arguing", Draco ordered, pushing the towel down and leaning down to kiss his now-naked boyfriend.

"Draco, it's almost dinner, and with everyone leaving tomorrow...come on, don't you want to be there? You're the Seeker for the team which just won the Quidditch Cup – mmph!" Harry was cut off by Draco's insistent mouth, his tongue sliding inside to swirl around Harry's mouth, while his hands trailed down the still damp chest, one toying with Harry's nipples, the other continuing downwards to fondle at Harry's growing erection. Harry groaned at Draco's dominance, pressing his body upwards to get more of the pleasure.

Draco stood up, drawing his wand and casting a Silencing Charm around the curtains, before Vanishing his clothes.

"You won't get them back now", Harry smiled.

"Who cares?" Draco all but growled, before pouncing on Harry, his own now-naked body pressing against Harry's. Harry gasped into Draco's mouth at the feeling of Draco's hardening cock pressing against his own.

"Draco, please", Harry begged, as Draco pulled back from the kiss to lean his forehead against Harry's, hips grinding their erections together.

"This?" Draco asked, trailing his hand down to squeeze Harry's cock against his own. "Or this?" he suggested, reaching round Harry's body to rub at the puckered hole.

"I really don't care, as long as you just...do something", Harry begged again. Draco smirked down at him, wrapping his hand around his own cock and jerking it a few times, gathering the precome leaking from the head and spreading it along his shaft. He knelt down off the edge of the bed, between where Harry's legs were hanging off the bed, and put his hands beneath Harry's thighs, lifting them up so that he could press his lips against the puckered hole, sliding his tongue inside and swirling it around, while sucking on the rim.

"Draco, please, more", Harry said, still begging, as his boyfriend slid a finger slick with his own precome into Harry's hole, alongside his own tongue. He gave only a few shallow thrusts with his finger before standing up, pulling Harry's legs around his waist and guiding his cock into Harry's barely prepared hole, thrusting inside forcefully.

"Fuck, you're so tight", Draco groaned.

"Probably because you barely prepared me...not that I'm complaining", he groaned in reply, as Draco shifted inside him, the head of his cock pressing tightly against Harry's prostate. "Now move already!"

Draco complied, thrusting roughly in and out of Harry, striking his prostrate on every thrust. Harry groaned and tightened his legs around Harry's waist, arching his back and moving to meet every one of Draco's deep thrusts. Harry's hands gripped the bedsheets, almost ripping through them as he leaned upwards on his elbows, tugging Draco forwards with his legs so that he could kiss the blond. Draco lifted one knee onto the bed, allowing him to penetrate Harry even deeper, as he kissed Harry, driving the dark haired young man almost insane with pleasure. Harry gasped and moaned, bucking and thrashing beneath Draco, as the pleasure increased to almost insurmountable heights. Harry gasped, moaning one final time as he came across his chest without warning, painting the previously clean skin with the evidence of his pleasure. Draco grunted as he spilled inside Harry's clenching hole, both young men riding out their orgasms. Draco flopped forwards over Harry, the stickiness of Harry's release trapped between them, as Draco's softening cock slid from Harry's hole.

"I think you were saying something about dinner?" Draco asked.

"Yeah...yeah, actually", Harry swallowed, rolling Draco off him. "We should shower...or in my case, shower again."

"Complaining?" Draco asked.

"Never", Harry replied, pressing a quick kiss against Draco's lips before pushing himself to his feet. He reached down and pulled Draco up as well, peering through the curtains to see if Theo and Blaise were out there. Determining that the dorm was empty, he opened the curtains, reaching out to pull Draco to his feet and continuing to pull him through into the bathroom for a shower before dinner.

* * *

"Hey guys", Harry said, a little short of breath as he sat down at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, him and Draco having had to almost run down there.

"And where were you all this time?" Pansy asked, a smirk on her face as she already knew the answer.

"Otherwise engaged", Harry replied to her. "So, how was your exam?" he asked her, changing the subject.

"Not bad, and like you said, they might adjust the marks for today's exams because we're bereaved", she replied.

Suddenly, their attention was drawn to the front of the room, where McGonagall had called for everyone's attentions with a fork and a glass. Snape stood up:

"Good evening, students. I know for some of you this will be your last day, so a few announcements. Please remember that the funeral of Professor Albus Dumbledore will be held on the school grounds tomorrow, the wake being held in here, in the Great Hall, afterwards. As for the usual end of year announcements, I am happy to award the Quidditch Cup to Slytherin House, after their defeat of Gryffindor in the match a few weeks ago. As for the House Cup, the final points stand at: Gryffindor – 112; Hufflepuff – 476; Slytherin – 495; Ravenclaw – 502, therefore...", he waved his hand, the blue and bronze banners unfurling, revealing the Ravenclaw eagle, "congratulations to Ravenclaw", Snape finished. "Thank you, and please enjoy your meal", he added, before sitting back down.

"Pretty close then", Harry commented.

"Except the Gryffindors – how did they end up with so few? Even last year they had more, and that was with Umbridge", Blaise pointed out.

"I'm not sure, but I often wondered if Dumbledore didn't just randomly assign points to make sure Gryffindor would win", Harry mused.

The five of them started eating, talking a little about summer plans, but they also knew that they would have to pretend to be bereaved at the loss of Dumbledore. Before long, they had finished eating and were headed back to their common room.

"So, are you all packed for tomorrow?" Pansy asked Harry.

"Why would he be packed for tomorrow?" they heard from behind them. Turning around, the five of them saw Ron, Hermione and Ginny; it was Hermione who had spoken.

"Well, generally when leaving it's necessary to pack first", Blaise pointed out.

"Dumbledore's funeral is tomorrow afternoon, which means Harry will be leaving on Sunday", Ginny told the four Slytherins.

"Actually, I'm leaving tomorrow morning", Harry told them. "Draco will be going to the funeral on my behalf, as he is my boyfriend. Unfortunately, I have work, so I can't stay."

"I didn't know you had a job Harry, are you already thinking of our future?" Ginny asked gushingly.

" 'Our future'?" Harry repeated. "The only future I'm thinking of – other than my own – is Draco's, you know, my boyfriend...who I love...and who's standing right here..."

"Well then why don't you dump him now and ask me out instead?" she asked him.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response", Harry said. "I hope you all have a good summer", he added politely, before turning on his heel, grabbing Draco's hand in his own, and continuing down to the Slytherin dorm.

"Harry!" Ron shouted after him.

"Mr Weasley, please stop your shouting", Snape said, approaching the group, along with Remus. Pansy, Theo and Blaise took advantage of the situation to slink away, following Harry and Draco down to Slytherin dorms.

"We should be shouting, Harry isn't going to the funeral tomorrow!" Ginny almost shouted at the two Professors.

"And he walked away without giving us a proper reason", Hermione added.

"Mr Potter has to work, a fact I am well aware of, so he will not be in attendance", Snape replied. "Something which he either did inform you of, or which is none of your business."

"You can't –"

"You three can still be given detentions, so why don't you just return to your dorms", Remus suggested in a placating manner, although his tone made it clear that it was just as much of an order as a suggestion.

The three of them grudgingly returned to their common room, while the four Slytherins and Harry returned to the dungeons. Theo and Blaise stayed in the common room, allowing Harry and Draco room to pack, while Pansy returned to her own dorm to pack as well. In the dorm, Harry and Draco were sorting through Harry's things:

"Don't you want to take more than just this?" Draco asked.

"No, I don't really need all that much, my shinobi clothes and things are mostly still in Konoha, I left them there at Easter. All I really need is some books to keep up with my magic, parselmagic books, my diary to write to you, and a few everyday clothes for when I'm between missions."

"Okay, well I'll take some of the rest, but remember only Pansy is going with me on the train, I won't have that much help", Draco pointed out.

"I know, I just want you to take my school things, if that's okay?"

"My mother won't mind if you drop things there, even if I can't take them myself", Draco pointed out.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"Yes, you know she likes you", Draco said reassuringly. "And then you can take some of my things as well", he muttered under his breath.

"Just decide what I'm taking to your house, what I'm taking with me, and what you're taking on Sunday", Harry said. "And then we can go to bed again..." he trailed off suggestively.

"Okay, let's go quickly then."

"Thought you'd think that way", Harry smirked, ignoring the half-hearted glare sent his way, as the two of them quickly finished sorting out the packing, so that they could go to bed sooner.

* * *

**Next Chapter - The Chunin Exams Start!**


	15. The Chunin Exams: Part 1

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

Harry leant down to pull another clump of weeds up, dropping them into the basket beside his knees, where he was kneeling down in front of the crop patches. Suigetsu moved over to kneel down beside him.

"I never thought I'd see someone having an aneurysm over having to weed", he muttered to Harry.

"Maybe he's missing the triplets?" Harry suggested.

"I hope so, otherwise –"

"Would you two concentrate on the mission please?" Sasuke called out from the other side of the garden, a menacing undertone to his voice.

"Or he's just annoyed at these stupid D-rank missions we keep getting", Harry offered as another suggestion, before Suigetsu shrugged and moved across to weed a different patch of the garden.

Harry sighed as he moved along to the next crop patch. Over the last few weeks, he, Suigetsu and Sasuke had done several D-rank missions, and every time Sasuke had been in a bad mood about something. Harry hoped it was just that Sasuke was missing the triplets, although he often wondered if something else was wrong, as even when they were on the way back after their missions, when Sasuke would be just about to see the triplets and Naruto again, he still wasn't in a much better mood.

It didn't long for the three young men to finish weeding the garden and head back to the Mission Room with their report. Having done this, they set off towards the Uchiha District.

"Only a little bit of time now", Suigetsu commented.

"Until the exams?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. So, Sasuke, any hints?"

"For what?" Harry asked Suigetsu.

"He's done the chunin exams before. They'll be different, but still...Sasuke?"

"What do you want me to say?" Sasuke asked them, not paying attention to either of his teammates.

"What happened in your chunin exams that was important to you?" Suigetsu asked. Sasuke thought back...

**_They entered the first room, the first part of the exams, looking around at the people inside, most of whom seemed much older and quite unfriendly. Kabuto later informed them that by entering the room they had consented to sit the exam, not that the information would have stopped Naruto from being his usual loud-mouthed self:_ **

**_"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I won't lose to you bastards!"_ **

**_Sasuke had smirked to himself, as Naruto had loudly shouted to the entire room, getting him many glares. Even Sakura looked at him like he was a bit of an idiot, but Sasuke could see the determination burning behind the blue eyes._ **

**_Later, Team Seven were sat in the written exam. It was fairly obvious that they should be cheating to get the answers, but it still didn't matter, not as much as the tenth question. And when that was revealed, and Morino Ibiki tried to get them to quit:_ **

**_"Don't underestimate me! I will not run! I'll take it! Even if I'm a genin forever...! I'll will myself to becoming Hokage anyway, so I don't care! I am not afraid!"_ **

**_"I'll ask you again", Ibiki said. "Your life is riding on this decision. This is your last chance to quit."_ **

**_"I follow my unbending words...That's my ninja way."_ **

**_Ibiki paused, looking around the room, before:_ **

**_"Good decisions. Now to everyone still remaining...I congratulate you on passing the first test!"_ **

**_Later on, in the Forest of Death, Sasuke realised how much he knew Naruto, when someone tried impersonating the blond:_ **

**_"Where's the real Naruto?" he asked the imposter, while Sakura just looked on in confusion. "Your shuriken holder is on your left side, he's right-handed. And the main difference is you don't have that scratch that examiner put on Naruto's cheek. You're a fake loser who's worse than Naruto at transforming."_ **

**_The real Naruto did soon appear, and it was fortunate he did, as his attempts led to Sasuke becoming more determined to fight when Naruto was eventually taken down. His determination never did fade, and he later spent an entire night fighting clones, so that Sasuke (and Kabuto and Sakura) could later take down the real Team Oboro._ **

**_Naruto's exuberance in the written exam had apparently led to more people passing than Morino Ibiki had expected, and that meant there was an extra part of the exam added in for them, a series of matches after the Forest of Death test in order to thin out the numbers before the final tournament. In these matches, both Naruto and Sasuke won, as expected, and they actually both won using the same move, although the dobe had obviously had to rename the jutsu after himself._ **

**_In the end, the chunin exams didn't properly end, and they were interrupted. Yet, Sasuke was still determined to beat Gaara, having been only the second person to get past his sand and injure him. But when the raccoon started transforming, Sasuke couldn't do anything, and once again it was Naruto who interfered and stopped the destruction of the village. As the sand around Sakura slipped away, Sasuke caught her, before going to Naruto, who was collapsed on the floor._ **

**_"That's enough Naruto...Sakura is fine now. This guy is most likely out of chakra...the sand holding Sakura has completely collapsed. That's enough – it's over."_ **

Sasuke thought back over the exams, realising how much he and Naruto had grown closer during the exams.  _And now he's even stronger,_  he added to himself, looking at his and Naruto's house as the three of them entered the Uchiha District.  _Now all we need is for the triplets to actually sleep through the night,_ he sighed to himself, sleep deprivation not helping his mood.

"Er – Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked.

"Hn?" he grunted in reply.

"You haven't told us anything about the exams – actually, you've been silent since we asked", Suigetsu pointed out.

"They're different every time. See you tomorrow", Sasuke said dismissively, before heading into his and Naruto's house. Suigetsu and Harry shared a look as they watched him walk away.

"Well, that was helpful", Suigetsu commented dryly.

"I think he had other things on his mind", Harry said.

"Yeah maybe. See you tomorrow", Suigetsu responded, before heading off to his and Karin's own house, leaving Harry to go to his own, for some sleep before the three of them had even more D-rank missions, or at least some training, as the chunin exams were rapidly approaching.

* * *

"I can't believe it's taken this long to get them to sleep through the night", Naruto said, stepping back to admire his handiwork.

"Remind me again why the room had to be repainted?" Sasuke asked, setting down his paintbrush alongside Naruto's.

"So that the triplets could have it."

"But what was wrong with how it was before?"

"Nothing, just this is better. Although I still say orange –"

"This purple colour is hardly much better, but I am not letting you paint anything orange – if you had your way the whole house would be orange."

"There's nothing wrong with orange!" Naruto exclaimed, turning to look at Sasuke.

"Hn", Sasuke grunted in reply, looking at the paint spatters across Naruto. "You're just as messy as the babies", he added.

"You're messy too", Naruto pointed out. Sasuke looked down at his clothes. He had chosen to wear old clothes, just as Naruto had, but they weren't dirty at all.

"No I'm not", Sasuke said, confused. Naruto walked across the room, carefully stepping over the paint pots, and hugged his boyfriend tightly, smearing Sasuke's shirt with the wet paint that was on his own. "Naruto –" Said blond interrupted Sasuke's comment, hearing the menacing tone, by kissing the dark-haired young man, sliding his tongue into Sasuke's mouth to keep him from talking. Sasuke leaned into the kiss, one hand moving up to tangle in blond locks while the other pressed against the back of Naruto's waist, pulling the blond firmly against him.

Sasuke almost whined as Naruto pulled back, forcing himself not to do so as he knew Naruto would comment if he did.

"I still wasn't dirty before you did that", he pointed out.

"Complaining about the kiss?" Naruto asked smugly.

"Hardly, just about the paint – you could have taken the shirt off...although, I suppose if both our shirts are dirty we should both take them off..."

"Quit it, we still need to set up that larger cot, now that they're getting bigger."

"That could wait until –"

"No, we should do it now", Naruto said firmly.

"Fine, you do that, I'll set up the baby monitors", Sasuke said.  _The quicker we get done, the quicker I can get him into bed,_  he added to himself silently.

Naruto headed downstairs to the living room, Sasuke following him. The triplets were in a playpen in the living room, sleeping, and Naruto looked down at them, checking on them briefly before heading over to where the flat-pack cot was leaning against the sofa. Sasuke sat down in an armchair, opening up the packaging around the baby monitors and sorting them out, while Naruto began putting together the cot.

"The exams are soon, how are you guys doing?" Naruto asked.

"Fine, it's not like it'll be that difficult, we've been given missions that would normally be given to jounin before –"

"You and Suigetsu maybe, but not Harry", Naruto interrupted. "Don't forget that at least some of it will evaluate you as a team..."

"We can always pick up any slack, had to do that with our team after all."

"Sasuke, I'm the Hokage now", Naruto pointed out.

"Wasn't talking about you", Sasuke muttered.

"Stop being so mean to Sakura, she's doing really well as a medinin, she and Ino are part of the medical team for the exams."

"Yeah, whatever", Sasuke said dismissively. Suddenly, a thought struck him: "Who's taking care of the triplets while I'm doing the exams?"

"I am", Naruto replied.

"Won't you have to be there for some of the tests, as the Hokage?"

"Only for one day, I'm sure I can find someone to –"

"Who?"

"Well, Hinata – oh, her sister is in the exams...someone must be free though..."

"Is Karin part of the medical team?"

"Yes...and Juugo will be watching, he's still training as a sensei so it would be good for him...Neji will be with Hinata, a lot of people will be there just to watch...what about Sai? Or Kakashi? They won't have to be there –"

"You think I'm going to let a couple of perverts watch my children?" Sasuke scoffed. "At least go for someone like Iruka, anyone who can handle you must be good with children, and he's a lot less likely to read them porn as a bedtime story."

"I'll ask him, but Sai and Kakashi –"

"Not. A. Chance", Sasuke said firmly, clipping closed a baby monitor to emphasise his point. Naruto realised there was no point in arguing with him, instead focussing on finishing the triplets' new cot, while Sasuke finished off with the baby monitors, so that the two of them would finally have their own bedroom back.

* * *

It wasn't long later that the chunin exams started. Harry was sitting in the room for the written exam, looking down at the question paper. On it were nine questions, the tenth would apparently not be revealed until almost the end of the exam. They were a mix of mathematical questions on angles and directions to get an accurate shot with different weapons, as well as some moral questions as well. Harry wondered how much of an input Naruto had into the questions, as he read through the paper. Although the questions were difficult, he managed to figure out some of them. For the rest, he slyly looked over Sasuke's shoulder, hoping that none of the proctors would notice.

Just before the end of the exam, the proctor at the front of the room stopped them, announcing that it was time for question ten. However, before he could say anything about the question, a siren sounded over the PA system. The students taking the exam were ordered to remain in their seats, as the head proctor left the room. Before long, the other proctors started leaving as well, when the siren didn't dissipate. When only one was left, he addressed the students:

"That siren indicated that the village is being attacked. Stay here and you'll be safe, if you leave this room you may just end up dead, so stay put", he ordered, before leaving the room as well, leaving only those students sitting the chunin exam still in the room.

It was barely five seconds before Konohamaru sprung to his feet, loudly announcing that he was going to help fight, while his teammates tried to calm him down, especially as he'd jumped onto the table.

"He's kind of like Naruto", Harry commented to Sasuke.

"Hn", Sasuke grunted in reply, observing the room quietly. Moegi and Udon hadn't managed to calm Konohamaru down, although he had jumped off the table – and run out the door, leaving the two of them to follow him.

After a couple of moments, when no-one came in to say anything, a few other genin teams left as well, claiming to be going to help, even those who weren't from the Leaf Village.

"After all, sooner or later the enemy will get here, we may as well fight them before that", one of the genin from the Hidden Stone announced pompously, before leaving the room.

Five teams in total had left when Sasuke stood up, motioning to Harry and Suigetsu to follow him out of the room. The three of them left the room, heading down the corridor...and finding the other genin teams in a room further down.

"Why –" Harry began.

"It's part of the test, if we stay in the room we're calling ourselves weak, otherwise it means we're willing to die fighting", Sasuke said quietly, so only Suigetsu and Harry would hear him. The proctor in charge of their exam waited for five more minutes, two more teams entering before he turned off the siren. After a couple more minutes, when no-one else entered, the head proctor nodded to one of his assistants, who left the room to inform the genin remaining in the exam room that they had failed, while he himself explained the situation to them:

"As some of you may have figured out", he began, looking at Sasuke pointedly before continuing: "by leaving the exam room, you placed yourself in danger, merely in order to die fighting rather than remain in that room just so you would be safe. Therefore, you have passed. Tomorrow morning at 8am you will report to Training Ground Thirty-Five for the next part of your exam. You are all dismissed."

With that, the proctors left the room, leaving Sasuke to look after him with an unusual look on his face, before turning back to Harry and Suigetsu.

"I guess we may as well go – any idea what we're going to have next?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke.

"It's not like I have any inside information", Sasuke commented, before leaving the room.

"What's up with him?" Suigetsu asked Harry, as they followed, albeit some way behind Sasuke.

"No idea", Harry replied. "Maybe he's worried about the triplets – Naruto said he had a problem with who would watch them while we're doing the exams."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for at least some of it the Kages will be present, so someone will have to watch the triplets, but everyone will be busy due to the exams – in the end, I think it was a choice between Sai and Kakashi, and Naruto didn't see the problem."

"I bet Sasuke does", Suigetsu commented. "But I think there was something else wrong, something to do with the exam itself...maybe the proctor didn't like him?"

"Is that unusual?" Harry asked.

"No, not really."

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the Uchiha District, Sasuke already far enough ahead of them to be re-entering his house.

"I guess he'll meet us tomorrow morning", Suigetsu commented dryly.

"Yeah...meet you at the entrance to the District at 7.30?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'll try and make sure Sasuke meets us as well, but that might not be so easy..."

"See you tomorrow then", Harry said, as he headed towards his own house, planning to write to Draco that evening, while Suigetsu made his way to his and Karin's house, wondering if he could get his girlfriend to talk to Sasuke instead.

* * *

Later that night, Naruto was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. Sasuke was already in bed, and the triplets were now in their own room. Naruto also knew – although Sasuke didn't yet – that this would be the last night he spent with Sasuke for several days. Naruto took a deep breath, looking at himself in the mirror.

"Are you coming to bed or not?" Sasuke called impatiently.

"Just coming", Naruto called back. He was still unsure, but decided just to go ahead with his plan, forming the necessary hand-signs and taking another deep breath before leaving the bathroom and joining Sasuke in bed.

"What took you so long?" Sasuke asked, pulling Naruto against him.

"You're horny", Naruto noticed, as Sasuke leaned down to nip at Naruto's neck.

"You're naked."

"So?"

"And the exam tomorrow – I know I don't know exactly what's next, but if it's anything like ours then it's survival, so I'll be gone a few days."

"So?"

"And the triplets are in their own room and sleeping."

"So?"

"Take a guess", Sasuke muttered, rolling Naruto onto his back and running his hands up the bare chest beneath him. Naruto swallowed deeply before flipping their positions, pressing his body against Sasuke's.

"I want a turn", he said.

"You want to be on top – fine", Sasuke said. Naruto was taken aback at how easy it was to make Sasuke relent, and swallowed again as he ran his hands down Sasuke's body and pushed down the sleep pants Sasuke was wearing. He pumped Sasuke harshly, making the dark-haired young man groan beneath him, bucking up into Naruto's hand.

Suddenly, Sasuke flipped them both over, curling his hand around Naruto's cock. The blond, blinded by the pleasure, could only moan loudly, as Sasuke ran come-slickened fingers backwards and slid two inside Naruto. He scissored them quickly, adding a third, then withdrew them, entering Naruto in one smooth thrust. Naruto groaned and bucked upwards, wrapping his legs around Sasuke's waist. Sasuke thrust in deeply, groaning at the tight fit, as Naruto gasped beneath him.

Sasuke thrust in deeply, then pulled Naruto over, rolling onto his back so that the blond was straddling him.

"Fuck, so deep", Naruto gasped, as he rocked back and forward on the hard shaft inside him. Sasuke gripped Naruto's hips, helping Naruto ride him harder as both young men reached their peaks. Naruto threw his head back and moaned loudly, while Sasuke groaned out Naruto's name, coming deep inside him. Naruto's own seed shot out across Sasuke's stomach, before the blond flopped forwards. Sasuke grabbed Naruto's shoulders and rolled them over, sliding out of the blond. He reached over to the bedside table for a tissue to clean himself off, tossing the soiled tissue in the general direction of the bin. He pulled up his sleep pants, which had been pushed down around his ankles, and pulled Naruto against him, cuddling him as the blond dozed off to sleep. Sasuke kissed Naruto's shoulder, wrapping his arms around the younger man and pulling his back against Sasuke's front, as the two of them fell asleep together.

* * *

The following day, Sasuke, Suigetsu and Harry arrived at Training Ground Thirty-Five just before 8am. Six of the other teams had already arrived, but one had not, and at 8am precisely a seal activated around the gathered genin. A proctor emerged through the trees to greet them.

"I see one team hasn't arrived yet", he noted. "Well then, let's begin."

"Shouldn't we wait for the last team?" one of the genin called out.

"They're disqualified for tardiness", the proctor responded. "My name is Yamashiro Aoba. One member of each group come forward."

Sasuke stepped forward for their team, the other teams spending more time deciding who, until they realised how simple the task was, when Aoba handed Sasuke a folded up piece of paper and told him to rejoin his group. Soon enough, all teams had been handed their pieces of paper, and Aoba continued:

"The papers contain a map. You must reach the designated area and set up camp. Further instructions await you at the area. You must have reached the area and made camp before noon."

With that, Aoba disappeared in a pop of smoke, leaving the 21 genin to themselves.

"Let's have a look then", Suigetsu said, nudging Sasuke. Sasuke gave him a brief glare, before opening the map and looking at it. Harry and Suigetsu looked over the map.

"No offence, but – er...well..." Harry began unsurely.

"Was it drawn by a two-year old?" Suigetsu asked.

"Maybe that's the point?" Harry asked.

Their map was a simple piece of paper with a pencil-drawn map. There was a red X, presumably the area they were to head for, near a circle marked 'caves'. There was a box marked 'you are here' in front of a large oval containing the word 'forest'.

"I guess we're supposed to head for the caves then?" Harry asked. "What's that though?" he asked, pointing to a small number near the red X.

"The number 5", Sasuke replied. "I suppose it will make sense when we arrive."

The other teams began leaving, moving off through the forest. Sasuke, Suigetsu and Harry followed, jumping through the trees and heading in a roughly straight line, as depicted by the map.

After around half an hour of moving through the trees, navigating a few basic wire traps, Sasuke suddenly dropped to the ground in a clearing. Harry and Suigetsu followed.

"I can't believe they even let you take the exams", a Stone-nin scoffed, his two teammates standing on either side of him.

"Why are you blocking our way?" Sasuke asked, ignoring their comment.

"They never said there was anything about what we can't do – so if someone were to prevent you from reaching your designated area..."

"And you think you are capable of that?" Sasuke asked dangerously, Sharingan activating.

"Why not?" the Stone-nin asked. Sasuke merely sent a look his way, activating his Chidori Blade and slicing several deep lines into the Stone-nin, who collapsed to the ground. His two companions shared a look, before looking at the three Konoha-nin. Suigetsu drew his sword, aiming it at one of the genin, while Harry drew his bow and aimed an arrow at the other, Sasuke's Sharingan still glinting dangerously.

"I take it you will let us pass now?" Sasuke asked.

"Er...yeah, sure", the Stone-nin nodded, fear evident in his voice. His companion nodded as well. Suigetsu and Harry put their weapons away, and the three of them moved past, continuing towards their destination near the caves, leaving the three Stone-nin, one bleeding heavily, in the clearing.

Over the next hour, they had to navigate through increasingly difficult traps, from freezing jutsus designed to freeze their feet and quicksand jutsus to trap them to wire traps which would do everything from hold them still to injure them to the point of amputation. Having gotten through these traps with relative ease, the three of them reached the cave system at around 9.40am, pausing in the trees to look down on the caves.

"Look", Harry muttered under his breath, pointing towards a screen over an entrance to the cave system, on which was the number '3' and a message indicating them to encamp and wait for further instructions on the screen.

"I guess we need to look for the number '5' then", Suigetsu pointed out.

"Which way?" Harry asked.

"We're in the East part of the caves – at three o'clock, so we need to move clockwise to get to five o'clock", Sasuke stated. "This way", he added, moving off, Suigetsu and Harry just behind him.

It didn't take long for them to reach their designated area, which had another screen the same as the one they had seen earlier, positioned above the cave entrance. As the three of them entered the area, a seal activated, keeping them only in the area around the cave.

"How big an area do you think it is?" Suigetsu asked.

"Not far", Sasuke replied, looking around with his Sharingan at the chakra in the seal, recognising his boyfriend's chakra as part of it.  _Probably the only way they could be sure it would keep us in, with our power levels,_  Sasuke added to himself.

The three of them suddenly sprang to attention, as a puff of smoke appeared. It cleared to reveal Aoba, so the three of them relaxed, although only slightly.

"You reached the designated area in just over two hours, well done", he said stiffly.

"Thank you, Yamashiro-sama", Harry said with a bow, realising his teammates were unlikely to be that polite.

"Thank you for your politeness", Aoba noticed. "Now, you are to remain within the area of the seal until the screen indicates that you may enter the cave system. That will occur at some time within the next five days. You will need to make camp and forage for yourselves, and enter the cave within ten minutes of the message informing that you may enter. In these ten minutes you must remove all traces of your camp. Do you understand?" he asked. Sasuke and Suigetsu only nodded in reply, again leaving Harry for the verbal reply:

"Yes, thank you, Yamashiro-sama."

Aoba nodded to the three of them and popped out in another puff of smoke, leaving the three of them to work out for themselves how to make camp.

"I guess we'll need to watch the screen in shifts then", Harry pointed out.

"We need to scout out the area first", Sasuke stated.

"Yeah, we'll need water", Suigetsu said. "I'll go look and see if a river runs through the area or anything." He headed off to do so, leaving Harry and Sasuke by the cave entrance.

"Did you bring any food?" Sasuke asked.

"A few energy bars, here", Harry said, emptying his pockets. Sasuke did the same, revealing that they had eight energy bars between them.

"Suigetsu can have two, he needs more water than food anyway", Sasuke said. "We'll have three each."

"We'll still need something else though", Harry pointed out, as Sasuke took three and put them in his pockets.

"I'll look for food and gather wood for a fire. Keep an eye on the screen", Sasuke stated, heading off into the trees, part of the forest being contained in the sealed area.

Harry sat down, putting three of the energy bars back in his pocket. He took off his quiver, examining the arrowheads. Suddenly, overhead he heard a bird hoot. Looking up, he saw a flock of birds flying over. Sasuke returned with some wood as Harry was looking up.

"We'll have to chop more off the trees, there's very little loose stuff on the floor – Harry?"

"Are they edible?" Harry asked.

"The birds? I don't see why not", Sasuke replied. Harry picked up an arrow and drew his bow, aiming straight upwards. With a practised eye, he shot an arrow, successfully shooting down one of the birds, which landed a short distance away. Harry went to fetch it, as Suigetsu returned as well.

"The river comes just inside the sealed area over there", Suigetsu said, indicating a region behind him.

"These are for you", Sasuke said, passing the two energy bars to Suigetsu.

"We have three each, Sasuke said you needed water more than food", Harry added.

"Yeah, I do", Suigetsu agreed. "But still, what about other food?"

"There are some berries in the forest, and Harry just shot down a bird", Sasuke responded.

"It looks edible to me, but the flock cleared when I shot down this one, we'll have to hope they come back", Harry stated.

"Pass your bottles, I'll head back and get some water", Suigetsu said. Harry and Sasuke did so, and Suigetsu headed off back towards the river. Sasuke set to work building a fire, while Harry started stripping the feathers from the bird so that they could cook it.

"Shall we just sleep on the floor?" Harry asked, as he plucked the feathers.

"We may as well, it's August."

"I guess, and we do have to take down the camp when we're done."

"I can always Amaterasu it", Sasuke pointed out.

"We might want to avoid using too much chakra, we don't know what'll be inside the caves after all." Sasuke nodded in reply, before turning back to the fire he was building.

By the evening, they had set up a fire, gathered enough wood for the night, had a decent meal from the bird Harry had shot down and some berries from the wood, and made sure they had enough water.

"I'll take the first shift watching the screen, I'm not that tired", Harry offered.

"Do you have a way of telling the time?" Suigetsu asked.

"Yeah –  _Tempus_ ", Harry incanted, a digital clock appearing in blue numbers above his flat palm, revealing that it was currently 8.50pm.

"Wake me up at midnight", Sasuke said. "I'll wake Suigetsu at 3am."

"Okay, goodnight", Harry nodded, crossing his legs and getting comfortable, half-watching the screen and activating his Sharingan so that he could read in the dark. He drew a scroll from one of his trouser pockets, sitting comfortably and reading as he kept an eye on the screen, while Sasuke and Suigetsu got comfortable on the ground and fell asleep.

* * *

Sasuke, Harry and Suigetsu spent three nights in the sealed area. During this time, the screen had only changed its message once, on noon of the first day, to inform everyone that five teams managed to reach their areas. It was now the morning of the fourth day, and Sasuke had just woken up Suigetsu and Harry.

"Anything happen overnight?" Harry asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Nothing", Sasuke replied, eyes still trained on the screen.

"How are we for food and water?" Harry asked, yawning and stretching as he stood up from where he had been curled up on the floor asleep.

"I'll go get more water", Suigetsu offered, grabbing his and Harry's canteens. Sasuke handed his to Suigetsu, who headed off to the river area.

"You want me to get some food, Sasuke?" Harry asked.

"I'll get some berries, you watch the screen", Sasuke replied, standing and stretching before heading off into the trees to gather some berries.

Around ten minutes later, Suigetsu returned, soon followed by Sasuke. The three of them ate a few berries, but before they had a chance to finish, Harry suddenly said:

"The screen!" Suigetsu and Sasuke looked at the screen as well, which now said 'Enter', along with a countdown clock, already running, giving them just under ten minutes.

"I guess that's the time we have to destroy the camp", Suigetsu remarked.

"What do we have to get rid of?" Harry asked.

"Anything suggesting our presence", Sasuke replied.

"So just the fire really", Suigetsu pointed out. The three of them stood up, securing their canteens around their legs. Sasuke tossed the rest of his berries onto the burnt patch of ground, where their fire had been, and indicated for the others to do the same.

"Amaterasu", Sasuke muttered under his breath. Black flames covered the burnt ground, destroying the blackened wood, embers and grass. As the black fire ceased, Harry crouched down, holding his palm flat over the area and hissing a spell in Parseltongue, causing new grass to grow, covering all evidence of their fire.

"Still got more than seven minutes – do you think that matters?" Harry asked

"No, that's our limit, not the amount of time we have to wait", Sasuke replied.

"I guess we should see what's inside then", Suigetsu suggested, leaving the other two to follow him into the cave system.

Elsewhere in the village, Naruto was sitting in a box overlooking an arena, the other Kages nearby. Beside him, Gaara leaned over:

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, why?"

"You're fidgeting."

"Oh, sorry", Naruto apologised.  _I can't really tell Gaara I just took a test and found out I'm not pregnant, he won't know whether it's a good thing or bad thing,_ Naruto added to himself.  _I don't even know if it's a good thing or a bad thing – I wanted Sasuke to be pregnant, but he – as usual – tricked me into being the uke. And he agreed for me to be on top as well! But the triplets are only a few months old, and if we got pregnant again now then the baby would only be around a year younger than the triplets, and that's a lot of young children. Oh well, it doesn't matter now, I'm not pregnant, the jutsu obviously failed._

Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as the screens at the front of the Kage box activated. There were screens all around the arena, positioned in fives, so that all five teams could be watched.

"Three teams from the Leaf, one from the Lightning and one from the Sand", Gaara muttered, only Naruto able to hear him.

"What's your point?" Naruto asked him, equally as quietly.

"Nothing really, I was just thinking how many people thought you'd been weakened after your village was attacked by that Akatsuki member, and yet more teams from your village are through than any other village. And one of those teams includes Sasuke doesn't it?"

"Sasuke, Suigetsu and Harry are one of the teams...there they are", Naruto noticed, as the three of them appeared on the screen. Above the Kage box was an announcer who would commentate the rest of the exams over the PA. He suddenly broke in, welcoming everyone to the arena, before continuing:

"The exams so far have consisted of a written and a survival portion. The next test is a team match, the three genin facing one opponent of a much higher rank and skill. They need to work as a team and get past their opponent and reach the arena, which will likely involve defeating their opponent – although if they can get past them and reach the arena without defeating them then they will still have passed."

As everyone in the arena began watching the five teams make their way through their individual cave passages, waiting for them to face their individual opponents, elsewhere in the village, two men were trying to stop some babies crying.

"WAHHH!"

"WAHHH!"

"WAHHH!"

Sai and Kakashi winced simultaneously, as the three triplets began crying loudly.

"What do you think is the matter with them?" Sai asked loudly, grabbing a book and flipping through the pages.

"I'm not sure, we should look in some books", Kakashi replied, also flipping pages, although at least Sai was using a parenting book, while Kakashi was looking through an Icha Icha book.

Suddenly, the front door opened and Iruka entered the house, pushing the door closed softly and entering the living room. He leaned over the cot the three triplets were in, rubbing each of their tummies in turn and cooing to them. Soon enough, they all calmed down.

"Iruka, what –"

"Naruto asked me to stop by to check on you two", Iruka said, still leaning over the cots.

"Don't you mean 'you three'?" Kakashi asked.

"No, you two", Iruka replied, standing up and looking at Sai and Kakashi.

"Naruto doesn't trust us?" Sai asked, sounding a little hurt.

"No, just Kakashi – after all, what was he doing just now?"

"We were trying to figure out how to stop them from crying", Sai explained.

"So why were you looking through one of your books?" Iruka asked, looking at Kakashi and emphasising which books he was referring to.

"Well, in this volume the main character gets pregnant, so I figured why not see if there were any parenting hints?" Kakashi defended himself.

"I don't think I want to know", Iruka muttered. "Sai, why don't you go and watch the matches for the chunin exams? I'll watch the triplets."

"Okay, thanks Iruka-san", Sai said, before heading off towards the arena.

"You may as well go too, Kakashi, I doubt you'll be of much help", Iruka said.

"Don't you want to watch your students?"

"Don't you want to watch yours?"

"How about I make you a student?"

"And what would I need to learn from you?" Iruka asked.

"Good point...how about you teach me?"

"What do you want to know?" Iruka sighed.

"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

"Someone really needs to teach you some better lines."

"Sex in Naruto and Sasuke's bed?" Kakashi asked.

"No!"

"So can I go back to the pickup lines?"

"Are those my only two choices?"

"You know, you're the cutest guy in this room."

"Isn't that a little mean?"

"To myself? Thanks, Iruka-kun."

"I meant, isn't it a little mean to Itachi and Jiraiya?"

"I think Sasuke would kill me if I hit on his kids."

"I'm not suggesting you do, I'm just reminding you that they're in the room", Iruka pointed out. "Now, are you going to the arena, or are you going to stay here and be helpful?"

"Why, do you want some help?"

"I don't think I've ever heard the word 'help' being said in such a lewd way before."

"I know, I'm just that amazing", Kakashi retorted. "Besides, don't you want to entertain me?"

"Plenty of entertainment at the arena – or don't you know who Sasuke's team are fighting in the caves?"

"No, who?"

"Go and find out", Iruka ordered.

"Fine. but I'll be back later to explain to you why your ass is out of this world."

"Because it wanted to be as far away from you as possible?" Iruka suggested.

"Ouch, that hurts", Kakashi said, placing his hand over his heart and pretending that Iruka's words had hurt him.

"Good. Now, out!" Iruka emphasised his order by pointing towards the door. Kakashi finally got the hint, sighing as he headed for the door.

"For the record, while you may not be the cutest," Kakashi began, heading out of the door, "you're the hottest in the room", he finished, from the other side of the door between the kitchen and living room.

"Convenient that you left the room before you said it", Iruka folded his arms.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't...and I'll see you later", he finished, before popping away in a cloud of smoke. Iruka sighed to himself, before muttering:

"More like you'll bother me later", he corrected, before turning back to the triplets. "Bet they didn't feed you three did they?" he asked them. The babies merely gurgled in response. Iruka smiled at them, before heading to get them some food, pretending that Kakashi was at the arena and not just hanging around outside spying on him through the window.

* * *

**Next Chapter - The End of the Chunin Exams and the Results of the Exams!**


	16. The Chunin Exams Part 2

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

Sasuke, Harry and Suigetsu were wandering cautiously through the caves, knowing that they would soon encounter their next test. Suddenly, they heard a noise from ahead of them, which sounded like...

"Is that someone rapping?" Harry muttered to his teammates.

"I think it is", Suigetsu replied, equally as quietly, as he and Sasuke shared a look.

"Quiet", Sasuke ordered, as they rounded a bend in the cave system and saw the person who was making the noise.

He was fairly tall, with dark skin and very light hair. He had several swords strapped to his back, with a red rope tied around his waist to hold them. He had a long white scarf, frayed at the ends, and was wearing a white vest fastened over one shoulder and grey trousers. He was wearing grey open-toed shoes, as well as lower leg and forearm guards. His hitai-ate indicated he was from the Lightning Village.

"My opponents I greet; now time for some heat; to pass the test you must beat me; which is no small feat ya see!" the man rapped at them.

Harry and Suigetsu shared a look, trying to avoid laughing, while Sasuke activated his Sharingan, looking over their opponent closely.

In the Kages box, Naruto looked at his boyfriend and his teammates on the TV screens.  _Please don't laugh,_ he said in his mind, looking closely at Harry and Suigetsu. Although, given their opponent was rapping...

Naruto paid close attention to their match:

"We saw you before, in the Land of Lightning", Sasuke commented.

"After you killed that shark Akatsuki; one of the back-up to arrive was me; my name is Killer B", the man continued rapping.

"Do you have to rap everything?" Suigetsu asked, although B ignored him in favour of scribbling in his notebook. Suigetsu shared a look with Harry and Sasuke, before going to walk past B.

"No, no, no, you see; you can't just walk past me; you have to beat me", B rapped again. His point was emphasised by the pencil which flew past Suigetsu, the lightning chakra around it causing it to go so far into the wall of the cave that it couldn't even be seen. He drew a second pencil from his pocket to continue writing in his notebook, before closing his notebook and returning it to his pocket.

"Nice trick", Suigetsu muttered, looking at the hole where the pencil had entered the wall.

"Not a trick", B pointed out, before throwing the second pencil towards Sasuke and Harry in the same way. Using his Sharingan to increase his speed, Sasuke withdrew a shuriken from the quick release beneath his wrist band and threw it at the pencil, intending on cutting it in half before the pencil reached them. However, even in two halves the pencil continued moving at the same speed, both Harry and Sasuke having to move to avoid being hit.

As he moved to avoid the weaponised pencil, Sasuke drew his katana from its sheath, moving to attack B. B saw the attack coming and dodged, but Sasuke followed through, pushing the point of his sword into the ground and using it to balance as he swung around and kicked B in the stomach. B stumbled backwards, but did not fall.

Meanwhile, Harry had activated his Rinnegan, and Suigetsu had drawn Kubikiribocho. Harry raised a shield around himself, to absorb any chakra which may hit him, as Sasuke and Suigetsu faced B, who was wielding a sword in each hand, fighting both of them. Harry took a deep breath.  _The power I used against Voldemort,_  Harry said to himself,  _the Human Path...if I use that and stop earlier, perhaps I can make him pass out without killing him?_

However, before Harry could act, Sasuke and Suigetsu jumped backwards, avoiding an attack and ending up standing beside Harry. Harry looked at B, a red cloak of chakra surrounding him.

"He's..." Harry trailed off.

"A jinchuriki", Sasuke confirmed.

"So the red chakra will burn us – well, burn you two", Suigetsu remarked. "Can't burn water after all", he added, grinning at Harry and Sasuke.

"Then you don't need a shield", Sasuke pointed out, activating his Mangekyo Sharingan and surrounding himself and Harry with his Susanoo. Harry drew his bow from his back, while Suigetsu started muttering about how evil Sasuke was. Sasuke merely glared at him, while Harry drew three arrows from his quiver and fired them in quick succession, although he still barely managed to injured B through the cloak of red chakra.

"Stupid bastard evil Uchiha, like I'm going to fight when you won't even help, not going to save you, stupid..." Suigetsu muttered to himself. Harry sighed to himself, literally between his two teammates as Suigetsu muttered as if he was about to pull a temper tantrum, while Sasuke glared at him with the Susanoo around himself and Harry, leaving only Harry to actually look at B.

"Shut up", Harry said quietly, although still loud enough for both of them to hear. "Water bullet", he continued, inclining his head towards Suigetsu, "and genjutsu", he added, nodding to Sasuke. Then, in a pop of smoke, a shadow clone appeared in front of him, fully armed. The two Harrys fired arrows at B, while Suigetsu fired water bullets from his finger. B allowed the cloak to fade, standing up straight.

"That all ya got?" he asked. Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground as Harry kicked him in the side of the head, breaking his glasses. As he looked up to glare at Harry, he caught Sasuke's eyes instead, instantly falling under a Sharingan-enhanced genjutsu.

"How did you get there so quick?" Suigetsu asked Harry. Harry just grinned, motioning to the two of them to continue down the passage. Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan, the Susanoo fading away, and both he and Suigetsu resheathed their swords.

"Both were clones", Sasuke stated.

"What?" Suigetsu asked.

"Harry didn't clone himself once, he did it twice, simultaneously transporting himself behind B. The two clones attacked, along with you, distracting B enough that he didn't notice Harry behind him. Then, while he was distracted by his broken sunglasses, he dropped his guard enough to fall under a genjutsu.

"Ne, Sasuke? How long will he be out for?" Harry called, stopping to let Sasuke and Suigetsu catch up with him.

"Hn", was the only response he got, as the three of them continued onwards through the cave system.

In the Kages box and throughout the arena, the screens went black, signifying their victory. It wasn't long before the three genin were seen, entering the arena below the onlookers.

On the ground of the stadium, Harry and Suigetsu looked around.

"Okay..." Harry trailed off.

"The last test?" Suigetsu asked.

Suddenly, Aoba appeared in front of them.

"You passed the survival and initial fight portions of the test. Next is a tournament. You are the first team to reach the arena, so you'll have to wait for the others to arrive. While you do, prepare for your final fights – which could include battling your teammates." With that, Aoba popped away in a puff of smoke, leaving the three of them standing near the cave entrance.

Sasuke went slightly back into the caves, leaning against the cave wall. Suigetsu and Harry followed, leaning opposite him.

"How did they decide the matches when you did it?" Harry asked Sasuke.

"We all picked a number, then made the fights by matching numbers, but without making it too obvious which numbers would be matched – with people having the Byakugan, I guess they didn't want to just match up 1 vs 2 and so on, in case a Hyuga messed with the system."

"You think they'll have us do the same?" Suigetsu asked.

"I expect they'll either do it randomly or the Kages will decide", Sasuke responded.

Across the other side of the arena, another team emerged from the cave. The three of them were from the Sand Village, and Sasuke looked over the three of them, eyeing them up.

"Aren't those the ones we had that mission with, to that old base of Orochimaru's a few months ago?" Harry asked.

"Yes", Sasuke replied.

"The ones who spent the entire time gushing over how brilliant the Kazekage is? Well, that should be interesting to watch", Suigetsu commented.

"And if we have to fight one of them ourselves?" Sasuke asked them.

"We'll beat them within about two seconds", Suigetsu replied.

"Hn."

"Would that be a bad thing?" Harry asked Sasuke, wondering if that was what his non-committal grunt meant.

"When we did the exams before, the point wasn't necessarily to win, but to demonstrate our ability – if we win too quickly, we won't have done that", Sasuke pointed out.

Almost simultaneously, two more of the five teams entered the arena, both from Konoha – Konohamaru's team and Hanabi's.

"Was one team only of two people?" Harry asked.

"One of them must have been defeated and only the other two got past", Sasuke replied.

"One more team left", Suigetsu commented. As if in response to his comment, a Lightning-nin entered the arena.

"I guess he was the only one to get past their opponent", Harry stated.

"This is quite a few people", Sasuke said.

"Do you think that will make a difference to the tournament?" Harry asked.

"There's only twelve people, so six get to round two and then a three-way battle for the final", Suigetsu pointed out.

"And if the three-way battle is us three?" Harry asked.

"Well, like Sasuke says, we give them a show, right?"

"Hn", Sasuke grunted, as they were all beckoned to the middle of the arena by Gai, who had just jumped down from the observation stands where some of the already disqualified teams were watching.

The twelve of them gathered around Gai:

"Well done to all you Youthful Genin! You have made it to the last part of the Exams!" he enunciated loudly. "Now then, I will be your proctor for this last part of the exam, which will be a tournament! All of you will head off up the stairs by the cave entrance you emerged from to a room where you can rest. You have an hour before the tournament starts, in which time someone will be allowed to visit you to discuss strategy. After that, the screens will indicate the match, and the two participants must then take their place in the arena to do battle! You do not necessarily have to win, as long as you demonstrate to the Kages that you are chunin material! Well, off you go then!" Gai pumped his fist before flashing them all a thumbs-up, his teeth glinting. The four non-Konoha-nin looked at each other warily, while those eight from Konoha, used to Gai's over-exuberance, merely shrugged and headed off up the various staircases to their team's individual room.

Sasuke, Suigetsu and Harry reached their room and sat down on the tatami floor.

"Someone gets to come talk to us?" Harry asked.

"We didn't have that last time – although, last time we had a month to train before the tournament", Sasuke commented.

"I guess they wanted us to do the exams quicker for whatever reason", Suigetsu shrugged. "Who d'you think will come up and see us?"

"Naruto", Sasuke said definitely.

"He might not be allowed to..." Harry began, trailing off as Sasuke glared at him. "I just mean, he is one of the Kages, he might not be allowed to –"

"It'll be him", Sasuke stated firmly.

"Who'll be what?" Kakashi asked, poking his head around the door.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked.

"Is that anyway to talk to your sensei?...The person come to spend the next hour with you...the person watching your children right now..."

"Then how are you here?" Harry asked.

"Shadow clone", Kakashi responded dismissively.

"You left a shadow clone to watch my children?" Sasuke asked dangerously.

"No, I'm the clone, the real me is there with them. And Sai."

"I told that dobe I didn't want two perverts watching my children", Sasuke stated.

"Iruka will be there later, he's seeing one of the other teams in this hour. Now, strategy –"

"How about we kick their asses?" Suigetsu suggested.

"But not too quick, or we won't demonstrate enough of our abilities", Harry added.

"I suppose the three of you have it sorted then. Okay, see you later", Kakashi gave them a quick wave, before the clone popped in a cloud of smoke, Sasuke still glaring at the position the clone had just vacated.

"Sasuke, I'm sure the triplets are fine", Harry said, trying to placate the annoyed young man. Only receiving a glare levelled at him in response, Harry shrugged, moving to one side of the room to lie down, figuring he should rest before the tournament. Suigetsu moved to another part of the room, where glass doors led out onto a balcony over the arena. He sat down in front of the doors, examining his sword while keeping one eye on the screens. Sasuke remained where he had been sitting before, his face betraying his continued annoyance, as the three of them waited for the screen to beep for the first match.

* * *

Just under an hour later, a beep accompanied the appearance of two names on the screen.

"Who is it?" Harry asked, rolling over and standing up.

"One of the Sand-nin against the Lightning-nin", Suigetsu replied, as the two shinobi emerged into the arena beneath them, having obviously come down from their own rooms. The other participating genin had moved out onto the balcony, so Suigetsu and Harry did the same, as the two competitors took their place in the arena beneath.

"Sasuke, you coming to watch?" Harry asked.

"Hn", Sasuke grunted, clearly still annoyed with Kakashi, but moving to join his two teammates nonetheless.

The first match was concluded after only a few minutes, the Lightning-nin easily winning. The next match didn't take much longer either, Hanabi easily claiming victory over Moegi with her Gentle Fist technique.

After that Sasuke was up, fighting Udon.

"Sasuke's opponent looks like he's going to wet himself", Harry commented quietly to Suigetsu, as the two of them stood on the balcony watching.

"I'm sure it'll be fine", Suigetsu said unconvincingly, both of them knowing that Sasuke was always going to use his first match to take out his annoyance with Kakashi.

In the arena beneath them, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, but only at the lowest level. Udon merely wiped his nose, before collapsing to the ground. Checking on him, Gai immediately determined that he was under a genjutsu which Sasuke had used.

After ten minutes of waiting, during which time Udon hadn't woken up, Gai declared Sasuke the winner, and Sasuke nodded politely to Gai before heading back up the stairs to rejoin Suigetsu and Harry.

It only took a moment for Udon to be sorted out by the medical squad, and soon the next match was announced, Harry against one of the Sand-nin, Matsuri.

The two of them took their place in the arena, and Gai nodded that they could begin. Harry drew several kunai from his weapons pouch, throwing them at Matsuri, moving around so that they would fly at her from different angles and directions. However, she blocked them all with her johyo, moving it to wrap around Harry's wrists, getting closer in order to tie him up. Before she could do so, Harry knocked the quick release up his sleeve, a kunai moving forward into his hand, the blade cutting the wire of the johyo as it was released.

Matsuri moved away from him a little, realising her weapon was in two pieces. Picked up a small pebble from the floor, she tied it in the end of the wire where it had been cut, effectively leaving her with two weapons – a johyo with a shorter string and a pebble on the end not a dart, and a length of wire with a dart at the end of it. As Harry fired an arrow at her from his bow, she knocked it from the air, swinging around the wire with the dart to do so, then aiming at Harry with the other part of the weapon, intending on tying him up again.

However, the wire closed around only air, as Harry Apparated from the spot, appearing behind Matsuri. As he went to attack her with a kunai, she moved around, still succeeding in tying his arm up, even if not the rest of him, which also prevented him from making contact with her. As she tightened the wire, Harry's hand released the kunai involuntarily. As she moved closer, he kicked her in the back of the knees, but Matsuri retained her grip on her weapon, so they both fell to the floor. Harry was quicker to recover, managing to free his arm as Matsuri rolled onto her back. He kicked the parts of the johyo away from her hands, nocking an arrow in his bow and aiming it for her throat, standing over her.

At that point, Gai intervened, declaring Harry's victory. Harry nodded and went upstairs to the room where Sasuke and Suigetsu were talking, while Matsuri went off in the other direction.

"No-one left is going to give me much of a fight, are they?" Suigetsu was complaining as Harry entered the room.

"Well, Konohamaru seems to have been trained by Naruto quite a bit", Harry pointed out, rubbing his arm where the wire had cut into it.

"Go wash your arm", Sasuke said, indicating a door Harry hadn't noticed before, which led to a bathroom. "And it's not Konohamaru", he added, as the screen beeped.

"Me next?" Suigetsu asked.

"No, but there's only one match after this one", Sasuke stated. "It will be against that girl", he continued, pointing across the arena to where a young girl was standing with Hanabi, on a different balcony.

In the arena below them, Konohamaru was facing Sari, one of the Sand-genin. The match had only just started, but already seemed like it was almost over, as Konohamaru was attacking with at least sixty clones, and it was taking all the girl's energy to pop them before they hit her. She used a Wind Release technique to speed up the kunai, managing to pop all of the clones, then leant forwards, her hands on her knees as she panted for breath. She looked up, realising that none of the clones had been the real Konohamaru, and turned around just in time for him to come out of the ground and hit her square in the chest with a Rasengan, the clones which had helped him make it popping into smoke beside him as she was thrown backwards across the arena.

* * *

Sakura sighed to herself as another person was taken out of the tournament after only a brief match.

"Sakura", she heard from beside her, turning to see Sai.

"Sai, I thought you were taking care of Sasuke and Naruto's kids?"

"Iruka arrived and decided he would be better suited to such a job, as I wasn't very good at it", he replied, smiling widely. Sakura smiled slightly.

"I'm sure you were better at it than Kakashi."

"Well, Iruka did point out that I was at least looking in parenting books, while Kakashi was looking through his usual books."

"He was looking at porn to try to figure out how to deal with babies?" she asked dryly, wondering if she should really be surprised at her sensei's actions.

"Yes, he said that at some point they must have children if there is so much sex in them", Sai responded bluntly.

"Right", Sakura said slowly, long since having gotten used to Sai's blunt manner.

"How's the tournament going?" Sai asked, changing the subject.

"The first round is almost over. Twelve people got to the tournament, so six will get through the first round. So far, five people are through – a Lightning-nin, then Harry, Sasuke, Konohamaru and Hyuga Hanabi. I think Suigetsu is just about to take down –" she was interrupted by a shout from the spectators, as Suigetsu did as Sakura had thought, and won his match.

"Thank you all for remaining seated so long, the first round is over!" the announcer said over the PA. "There will be a short break before the second round begins!"

"Yeah, so...I have to go check on some of the people who got injured in the first round..." Sakura trailed off.

"May I join you?" Sai asked.

"Sure", Sakura shrugged, the two of them heading off towards the room where those knocked out of the tournament would be gathered during the break between rounds.

* * *

After there had been a 45-minute break between rounds, the tournament started up again, with six people through to round two. The announcer reminded everyone of this over the PA, while the screen beeped to notify everyone of the first match of the second round: 'Uchiha Harry vs F'.

"I still don't get why their names are letters", Suigetsu muttered to Sasuke, as Harry headed down to the arena.  _This battle is going to be a lot more difficult than the first,_ Harry said to himself, as he took his position opposite the Lightning-nin, F, who was already eyeing Harry up and down, clearly analysing him as an opponent.

Having signalled the start of the battle, Gai moved backwards, while Harry waited for F to attack, activating his Sharingan. With his eyes, Harry followed the pattern of hand seals – Ram, Boar, Dog, Bird, Hare – but wasn't prepared for his opponent's first attack to be so big, as four massive rock pillars emerged from the ground, surrounding Harry and towering at a height more than that of the arena.

Watching from their balcony, Sasuke kept his eyes on Harry, wanting to know how he would protect himself, while Suigetsu looked up at the height of the pillars.

"What, is that supposed to be intimidating?" Suigetsu drawled.

"Hn", was the only response he got from his sullen teammate. The two of them watched as the pillars crackled with lightning chakra, before the lightning exploded between them, bolts of lightning shooting between all the pillars. The dusty floor of the arena obscured what was going on, but F's smirk made it apparent he believed he had won. As the rock pillars collapsed and the dust cleared, F's smirk disappeared, as Harry was seen standing in his same position, apparently uninjured albeit somewhat dust-covered.

Harry patted his clothes, wiping off the dust, while F just gaped at him, so distracted that he didn't even notice Harry drawing his bow until an arrow lodged itself in his left bicep. F winced in pain, instinctively gripping his arm and turning his head to look at the injury. Harry took advantage of this to Apparate immediately in front of him, kicking F's shoulder above the arrow. F fell to the ground, his shoulder dislocated. As he tried to stand up, Harry drew some kunai with lengths of wire attached, throwing them around F to trap him against the ground, then dropped down on top of F, his knee pressing against the dislocated shoulder as he held a kunai to the Lightning-nin's throat.

"How did the lightning not get you?" F grunted out, as Gai announced Harry's victory.

"Missed me", Harry replied simply, standing up and returning his kunai to his weapons' pouch. He headed back up to join Sasuke and Suigetsu, leaving Gai and the medics to cut the wires tying down F and to treat his shoulder.

As Harry re-entered the room where his teammates were, Suigetsu turned to look at him:

"Guess the Rinnegan's pretty handy, right?" he grinned at Harry.

"No, he just missed me", Harry replied.

"How did it miss?" Suigetsu asked.

"You transported yourself out and back again", Sasuke stated.

"Yeah – you saw?"

"You don't do much to mask your chakra, it was easy to sense that you were briefly not there", Sasuke replied simply. "Suigetsu", he added, nodding at the screen.

"Well, this should be easy", Suigetsu grinned, noting the screen which informed his battle was next, and who his opponent was. He headed down into the arena.

"I wouldn't have thought it would be that easy", Harry said.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see", Sasuke responded, returning his attention to the arena below. Harry joined him on the balcony to watch the next match.

Below them, Suigetsu yawned widely, trying to emphasise how easy he thought the battle was going to be. Harry sighed to himself at his arrogance, realising how bad both of his teammates could be. Although, he realised Suigetsu may be about to get his comeuppance, as he was struck in the chest and knocked off his feet by his opponent. As he looked up from the floor, Suigetsu glared at Hanabi, whose Byakugan was already active. He pulled himself to his feet and drew his sword, his arm swelling with water in order to help him fight with Kubikiribocho.

The battle continued inconclusively for some time – both opponents being short-range fighters, yet both trying to avoid getting too close and allowing the other to attack, also meaning that they could not themselves make an attack. After some time, Suigetsu finally succeeded in knocking Hanabi to the ground, but she used Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm to push him backwards, giving her enough time to stand up. Suigetsu used his Water Bullet, the only non-short-range attack he had, but she deflected the water with her Vacuum Palm again.

Suigetsu moved in, trying for a close-up attack, but Hanabi used Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms, knocking out his chakra points and leaving him unable to control his hydrification. He fell at her feet, starting to become jelly-like. She then used another Vacuum Palm to pin him down, the pressure causing his body to indent into the ground, forming a small crater. Suigetsu passed out, still in his jelly-like state, and Hanabi took the match.

Above the arena, Harry looked at Sasuke.

"Did you know that she'd be stronger than him?" Harry asked.

"I knew Suigetsu was considering it an easy battle. I expected him to underestimate her and lose, not as he is any weaker, but as he wasn't properly fighting."

"He might not get chunin then – I know they said you didn't have to win, but if they realise he was being lazy..."

"Hn", Sasuke responded, not particularly caring. In the arena below them, Karin was helping get Suigetsu up from the ground, while the crater was being filled in by Yamato, allowing the next match to continue. Before the screen even showed the match, Sasuke was already aware of who he'd be fighting.

The final match of the second round was Sasuke against Konohmaru. As Sasuke took his place opposite the younger genin, he wondered how much Naruto had taught Konohmaru.

"If Naruto can beat you, then so can I!" Konohamaru vowed loudly, once Gai had indicated they could begin.

"What makes you think Naruto can beat me?" Sasuke asked, eyes glinting dangerously.

"He said so earlier", Konohamaru replied.  _Earlier?_  Sasuke asked himself.  _His team must have done the survival for a few days just like us, there's no way Naruto could have seen him, unless..._  "Yeah," Konohamaru continued, "he came to see us during the hour break earlier and told me that if he could beat you then so could I!"

In the Kages' box, Naruto facepalmed.

"What is it?" Gaara asked.

"If he doesn't shut up then Sasuke might actually kill him", Naruto replied, voice muffled slightly as his face was still in his hands.

"I was wondering why you weren't cheering", Gaara commented. "Not that it would be appropriate, but I wouldn't have thought you'd care about that."

"I would, but if I cheer for Konohamaru then Sasuke will kill him, and me, and given that Sasuke will probably end up winning anyway..."

"He might not, his opponent does seem to resemble you in terms of attitude."

"Yeah, maybe when I was younger", Naruto replied. "But when I was younger I couldn't beat Sasuke", he pointed out.

"It would be interesting if he did win, although..." Gaara trailed off purposefully. Naruto looked at him for a moment, before following his line of sight, where he saw...a naked version of himself standing opposite Sasuke. "I believe your prediction of the young man's death may have been accurate", Gaara said, while Naruto merely hid his bright red face under his Hokage hat.

In the arena below, Sasuke had heard Gaara and Naruto's conversation. He also heard the tone of Gaara's last statement –  _I know he's checking out my Naruto_, Sasuke said to himself.  _Everyone may be able to see him, but I know that stupid raccoon wants him – and he's mine._ On the last word of his internal rant, Sasuke moved, aiming a kick at Konohamaru. He landed it square in the naked chest of the Naruto-copy, smoke puffing around as Konohamaru hit the floor and the Sexy Jutsu ended.

"Hey! Would you do that to your real boyfriend?" Konohamaru shouted.

"Hn", was Sasuke's only response. In several parts of the arena, certain people muttered a "yes" in response to the question, including Naruto himself, Sakura and Harry.

"He would?" Gaara asked, having heard Naruto's muttered "yes".

"If Sasuke was allowed to fight me, he'd jump at the chance", Naruto pointed out. "I wouldn't mind another battle with him either, but we're kind of destructive when we fight..."

"That's an understatement", a voice muttered behind the two of them.

"Kakashi? Is something wrong –" Naruto began.

"Calm down", Kakashi said. "Iruka decided me and Sai had no clue, so...he kicked us out", he ended dramatically, sobbing slightly.

"And you came up here because?" Naruto asked.

"Hokage bodyguard?" Kakashi shrugged. "And it's a good view", he said, looking down at the arena as Konohamaru tried the Sexy Harem Jutsu, around thirty naked Naruto's now semi-visible through the smoke which at least left Naruto with some of his dignity.

"You're not wrong about that", Gaara added.

"Perverts, both of you", Naruto muttered, trying to stop his face from reddening even further. "Like I'd ever wander around in public naked", he added.

"Yeah, Sasuke would probably kill you", Kakashi pointed out.

"No he wouldn't", Naruto replied. "He'd just kill everyone who saw me. Which would probably be worse."

In the arena, Sasuke hod popped all of the naked Narutos again, leaving Konohamaru once again on the ground.

"Oh come on, can't you just see it as a public service?" he asked Sasuke.

In the Kages box, Naruto barely had time to mutter: "Now you've done it", before Sasuke drew his sword, aiming it upwards and channelling a huge burst of lightning from the sky, directing it through his hand at Konohamaru. The younger genin moved as quick as he could, but still got hit with much of the lightning.

As the area cleared, Sasuke resheathed his sword, glaring at Konohamaru, who glared right back, a few small burns from the lightning visible along his arms and legs, and probably also his chest. He summoned several shadow clones, using most of them to distract Sasuke while another helped him to make a Rasengan.

Sasuke easily popped all the clones, and sidestepped as Konohamaru jumped towards him with the Rasengan, causing the younger man to fall forward onto the ground, the Rasengan making a deep hole in the ground. As he rolled over to get back to his feet, Sasuke drew his sword again, the tip touching Konohamaru's throat.

"Okay!" Gai shouted, interrupting them. "Sasuke wins the match!" Throughout the arena, several people wondered if Sasuke would have stopped if Gai hadn't forced him to, as the Uchiha glared at the jounin before leaving the arena to return to his teammates.

"You weren't kidding", Gaara commented to Naruto.

"Yeah, Sasuke can be a little possessive", Kakashi pointed out, taking out one of his books from his vest pocket.

"That's an understatement", Naruto muttered, before being cut off as the PA announced that there would be another hour break before the final round would begin.

* * *

"The final round is just about to begin!" the PA announced. "The last round will be a three-way battle between Uchiha Harry, Hyuga Hanabi and Uchiha Sasuke!"

At the announcement over the PA, the three opponents took their place in the arena. Harry looked at Sasuke, meeting his eyes briefly, knowing what Sasuke was planning. Hanabi looked between the two young men, also recognising what was going to happen.

As the match began, Hanabi immediately activated her Byakugan, moving to attack Harry. However, Harry activated his Rinnegan and the Preta path, absorbing the chakra behind every one of her attacks. She manoeuvred to avoid a counter-attack from Sasuke, but in doing so left an opening for Harry to kick her, locking eyes with her briefly before she hit the ground. Hanabi recovered and tried to attack again, but Sasuke activated his Susanoo, the red giant striking the ground in front of her with a giant sword. The wave of chakra threw Hanabi backwards hard enough to dent the wall of the arena below some of the spectators. She slipped to the ground, unconscious, and Gai went over to take her out of the match. Sasuke turned to make the same attack on Harry, who, instead of flying backwards, held himself against the chakra, Rinnegan still activated with the Preta path.

As Sasuke allowed the Susanoo to lift up its arm, the dust in the arena cleared to reveal the damage it had caused, two massive craters, not to mention the crack in the wall where Hanabi had hit it. Harry pulled himself out of one of the craters, quickly drawing his bow, nocking an arrow and firing it at Sasuke. Sasuke countered this with an arrow from the Susanoo. Harry's arrow disintegrated as it passed through the chakra arrow, and Harry himself absorbed the chakra of Susanoo's arrow, still using the Rinnegan's Preta path.

Sasuke changed tactics. dispersing the Susanoo and instead using Chidori Blade to try to attack Harry. However, this also failed to get through the blue shield of chakra protecting Harry. It did succeed in destroying all the arrows Harry shot at him from his bow. Out of arrows, Harry began throwing kunai, but couldn't land a direct hit, as Sasuke knocked them all out of the air with his own kunai and shuriken, before drawing Kusanagi.

Harry deactivated the Preta path and quickly activated the Deva bath, magnetically attracting Kusanagi, ripping it from Sasuke's hand. It flew past Harry, embedding itself in the wall behind him. Still using the Deva path, Harry used Shinra Tensei. The force of the technique caused the entire stadium to shake as if an earthquake was occurring. Sasuke managed to reactivate his Susanoo in time to defend himself, but was still pushed back slightly.

Harry, who had been distracted by the ground shaking, not having intended his technique to be so powerful, found himself again in a crater in the ground, as Sasuke's Susanoo slammed it's fist down over him. The Susanoo dispersed, and Sasuke knocked the quick release beneath his wrist bands, withdrawing some shuriken with wires attached and throwing them so that they formed a criss-cross of wires over the crater which Harry had fallen into. Sasuke jumped over and used his Lightning release to electrify the wires, trapping Harry in the crater. Gai moved over to the two of them, having stayed well back when he realised how far they were going to go with their match. In the crater, Harry slumped down, his chakra depleted as his Rinnegan deactivated.

"I concede", he muttered roughly, realising as he spoke that at least three of his ribs were broken, and also apparently one of his legs as well. Sasuke deactivated the Lightning electrifying the wires, blinking blood from his eyes as he sat down on the floor beside the crater. Sakura headed over to help them, along with another couple of medinin, while Gai stood back but still nearby. the announcer came over the PA:

"The Kages are now deliberating over who to choose as chunin, while Uchiha Harry and Uchiha Sasuke are being treated after their – ahem...extreme battle. As for the Kages' decision – it isn't necessary to actually win, but rather to demonstrate enough of their abilities to be seen as deserving of the title of 'chunin'."

Before long, the PA system activated again, this time with Tsunade speaking over the system:

"Good afternoon", she began. "The following individuals are now to be considered of chunin rank: F of the Lightning Village; Matsuri of the Sand Village; and of the Leaf Village – Sarutobi Konohamaru, Hyuga Hanabi, Uchiha Harry, Uchiha Sasuke and Hoozuki Suigetsu. That is all."

* * *

**Next Chapter - Harry returns to Britain and another Horcrux is dealt with!**


	17. The Final Year Begins

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, suggested KakaIru, suggested SaiSaku explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

Naruto sighed to himself as he leant back heavily into his seat. He was sat at his desk in his office, the triplets asleep in one corner. To his left was a massive stack of papers, and to his right a much smaller stack; unfortunately, it was the smaller stack which contained the pieces of paperwork he'd actually completed.

"Starting to realise why baa-chan always used to sneak off", he muttered to himself, as he reached for the next piece of paperwork on the pile.

_REPORT 6F-A: MORGUE BREAK-IN_

_This is to report that a break-in was discovered on the morning of August 18th. It was discovered that there had been an intruder on the aforementioned morning; likely the intruder/intruders entered overnight some time. As of yet we do not know exactly what was taken. No supplies seem missing. A full body inventory has been initiated in order to determine if a body was seized. A full report will be submitted once we determine what, if anything was taken._

Naruto looked at the report blankly, before sighing again.

"If they don't know what's been taken, why do I need a report? They could have just told me in person", he muttered to himself. From the corner of his office he heard some gurgling noises, so went over to check on the triplets. It was Itachi gurgling, so Naruto picked him up.

"Shhh", Naruto said soothingly, rocking Itachi gently. Itachi looked at him and then around the room, as if expecting something different. "Yeah, yeah, I know you prefer Sasuke, but he and his team are having a medical check-up, we all have to have them regularly", Naruto explained to the dark-haired baby. As he continued to rock Itachi back to sleep, Naruto thought to himself:  _it's probably a good thing that justu failed,_  he said to himself, remembering the night before Sasuke and his team started the second part of the chunin exams.  _After all, three babies is enough of a handful, we really don't need another – and what if it had been a multiple again! Especially as Sasuke is now a chunin, so I'm already going to have to watch them so often, and he'll have more dangerous missions as well, and with Harry going back to Britain soon..._

Naruto gently set Itachi back down with his brother and sister, before going back to the mountain of paperwork at his desk, still complaining to himself about the pointlessness of reports basically saying 'we don't know anything yet'.

* * *

Later that evening, Naruto was putting the triplets to bed in their bedroom when he heard someone enter the house downstairs. The footfalls on the stairs told him that it was Sasuke, that he was alone, and that he was in a bad mood, so Naruto left the babies' room, closing the door and putting up a barrier around it so that the triplets wouldn't be woken up by any shouting. He then slipped into his and Sasuke's bedroom and began changing for bed.

Sasuke entered the room only moments later, tossing his hitai-ate onto the nightstand on his side of the bed, and discarding his sword and weapons pouch on the floor, before dropping to sit on the bed.

"Hi", Naruto greeted him.

"Hn."

Naruto looked at his boyfriend's back for a moment. Sasuke had entered the room while Naruto was only halfway changed – he was still wearing his trousers, but was shirtless and barefoot. Naruto climbed onto the bed and crawled across to kneel behind Sasuke, putting his arms around the dark-haired young man's torso and leaning his chin on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Want to tell me what happened?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke, normally I wouldn't care about your secrets, but this is important. What happened?"

"If you normally don't care, why is this important?"

"I didn't mean that I didn't care, I just...you know what I meant, teme! And this is important because the only thing you've had today is a medical check-up, and I have a right to know if you're okay or not."

"I'm fine...at the moment."

"When will you not be fine?" Naruto asked, concern now etched into his voice – before it could have just been Sasuke not liking being touched – at least by anyone except Naruto – but now Sasuke had revealed, in his own way, that there was something wrong with him, even if it wasn't anything major yet.

Sasuke turned to look at the blond, whose head was still on Sasuke's shoulder. Without warning, he suddenly tackled Naruto, pushing him backwards and pressing him down into the mattress.

"Sasuke, wha-hmph!" Naruto was cut off as a hot mouth pressed against his, Sasuke's tongue sliding inside to battle with Naruto's. The blond groaned, arching up against the hard body above him and fisting his hands in dark hair. All previous thoughts were forgotten, as Sasuke slid his hands down the back of Naruto's trousers, groping the younger man's ass through his underwear. Sasuke tore his mouth away from Naruto's and ripped off the younger man's trousers. On some level, Naruto knew he should complain about the fact Sasuke had just broken his trousers; on another level that he should complain that Sasuke was just distracting Naruto from...well, the blond couldn't remember what from, as that hot mouth instead settled for biting marks onto a tanned chest. Naruto's hands fisted in the bedcovers, head flopping backwards and face screwed up in pleasure, as Sasuke continued to cover his body in possessive marks.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a slick digit slide up inside him. He forced his eyes open even through the haze of pleasure –  _when did he get lube?_  Naruto asked himself.  _And when did Sasuke strip?_  However, he quickly forgot both questions, as his mind sank further into the pleasurable depths Sasuke was rapidly pushing him into. It wasn't long before a second finger slid in alongside the first, soon followed by a third, while Sasuke's mouth was busy making Naruto's nipples as red and swollen as possible, his other hand rubbing the small of Naruto's back as the blond arched off of the bed.

"Sasuke, pl-please!" Naruto groaned. He expected Sasuke to tease him, asking what Naruto wanted, but instead Sasuke immediately relented. He crawled up Naruto's body, lifting the blond's legs around his waist. He quickly drove into Naruto, setting a fast pace as he pounded him into the bed. Naruto could only throw his head back and moan as his prostate was roughly assaulted, fingernails clawing bleeding marks into Sasuke's back.

All too soon Naruto felt his climax approaching. He tried to warn Sasuke, but was cut off, as a cold hand wrapped around his hot member, roughly jerking him to completion. He screamed Sasuke's name to the ceiling as he came across himself, feeling Sasuke's own seed shoot inside him. Naruto just about registered the feeling of Sasuke withdrawing and cleaning them both up, but he was already falling asleep, when, suddenly:

"Damn it, teme! Don't distract me like that!"

"Hn", Sasuke grunted in reply, slipping under the bedcovers. Naruto moved closer to him, and Sasuke instinctively wrapped his arm around the younger man's shoulders.

"Sasuke, I mean it", Naruto said softly. "Just...just talk to me, I knew something was wrong when you were coming up the stairs, just...please", he pleaded. Sasuke looked at him for a moment.

"Fine", he relented.

"Really? Oh, okay...so...?"

"Tsunade said I have a problem with my eyes. Overuse of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Basically, I need to transplant eyes from another Uchiha or..."

"Or?" Naruto prompted.

"Nothing good", Sasuke replied. "And it needs to be a close relative...the best would be Itachi's."

"But, you burnt his body, right? I was there, the whole place went up."

"Maybe...but Itachi's partner was nearby, and he did leave with enough time..."

"But Kisame is dead as well, you guys killed him already", Naruto said. "Unless you think someone else may know...who could it be...?" Naruto mused to himself.

"Orochimaru kept an eye on what the Akatsuki were doing", Sasuke told him. "There's no reason to believe Kabuto isn't doing the same."

"What would Kabuto want with bodies of dead Akatsuki members?"

"Who knows?"

"I'll get someone to look into the possibility", Naruto vowed. "And I'll make sure you get sent after him if there's any chance he's still out there somewhere."

Sasuke looked at the blue eyes, full of determination, and allowed himself a small smile. Naruto beamed up at him before nuzzling back into Sasuke's shoulder, feeling sleepy again. He soon drifted off, but Sasuke lay awake for some time, wondering what was going to happen to him.

* * *

The following day, Naruto was sat in his office. The triplets were in a cot in the corner, and Sasuke was sitting on the couch nearby, half watching them, and half reading, while Naruto did his work.

"Are you sure you just want to sit there while I work?" Naruto asked, smiling at his boyfriend's protectiveness.

"Tsunade said I should rest, I'm resting", Sasuke replied nonchalantly. Before Naruto could reply, there was a knock at the door, and Tsuande entered.

"Naruto, we've found out who was taken from the morgue", Tsunade said gravely.

"Er, Sasuke? Why don't you take the triplets home for lunch?" Naruto suggested. Although it seemed like Sasuke was going to argue, a look from Naruto made him realise that the situation wasn't necessarily secret, but still something that Naruto didn't want the babies hearing.

"Hn", came Sasuke's usual non-committal response, as he transferred the babies into their pushchair before exiting the office.

"Sorry, I didn't realise the babies were here", Tsunade apologised.

"Sasuke brought them here earlier, although I'm not really sure why. So, which body was taken?"

"Kakuzu."

Naruto sat back in his chair heavily, while Tsunade sat down on the couch which Sasuke had just vacated.

"You know, I was talking to Sasuke last night," Naruto began, "about Itachi's eyes...we were considering the possibility that Kabuto may have Itachi's body...is it possible he has Kakuzu's as well?"

"Well, we do know that Orochimaru had connections to the current Akatsuki members, not to mention being a former Akatsuki member himself...I suppose it is possible, but there were no witnesses. And, even if it was Kabuto, how would we find him?"

"Well, Sasuke's team found Kisame well enough..."

"I take it your plan is for Sasuke to end up retrieving Itachi's eyes while also taking down Kabuto and ensuring the retrieval of Kakuzu and any other bodies Kabuto may have?"

"Why not?" Naruto asked.

"It will take a long time for them to be able to do that, and while I can send out team replacements every now and again, Sasuke won't come back until the mission is complete even if he were ordered to – do you really want him gone for so long? After all, if finding Kabuto were easy, then –"

"I know", Naruto interrupted her. "But, if Kabuto is going after the bodies of the fallen Akatsuki, then we have some idea of where he'll go next, don't we? We know who is dead, and roughly where their bodies are, so we send a team off to the closest one – if that's already gone, then they continue on to the next, and so on."

"I agree that it's a sensible plan, I just want to make sure you're prepared to be a single parent for a while?"

"It'll be fine. I can't go on missions really anyway, so I'll just have the babies here during the day. It'll be a boring few months, but I'm sure Sasuke will rush back, if not for me then for them. Plus, he has to get Itachi's eyes as soon as possible, right?"

"Yes, the longer he waits, the more his vision will deteriorate, not to mention his Sharingan", Tsunade replied.

"Okay, well...Harry is going back to Britain in a couple of weeks for his last year of school, so...Sasuke and Suigetsu, then Karin would probably be a good idea for whenever they do get Itachi's eyes..."

"And Juugo?" Tsunade asked, sighing. "As much as the Elders would hate it, the four of them were a team for quite a while, they must have had some team skills or they wouldn't have survived together."

"We can send the four of them at first, then, if they're still out there in a few months, then we can switch out some of them for some others, as long as we keep Sasuke out there, it'll be fine."

"Okay, I'll have Shizune sort out the files on all the Akatsuki members, particularly those which are deceased, as well as some possibly reactivated former bases of Orochimaru, which Kabuto may be using as his own base...how about you talk to Sasuke?" Tsunade suggested.

"Scared of him, baa-chan?" Naruto teased. She glared at him as she left the room, leaving Naruto smiling after her. Although, as he considered spending several months without his boyfriend, the smile soon fell off of his face, and he started fidgeting. He knew Sasuke would return at some point with the triplets, and so decided to wait until then, and call the other three once he had already spoken to Sasuke.

* * *

"Are you sure I hugged all three of them?" Harry asked.

"Yes", Naruto replied, smiling at Harry, as he set the third triplet back down in the cot, Harry having hugged all three of them goodbye. "Now, don't you have to use that thing at a pre-set time?" Naruto asked, indicating the long stick propped up against the door which was to be Harry's portkey back to Britain.

"Yeah, yeah", Harry muttered in annoyance, although smiled at Naruto as he did. "I know, I just wanted to make sure I had said goodbye to all three of them, I won't see them for at least a few months after all."

"Probably sooner than Sasuke", Naruto pointed out, still smiling, although the sadness was evident in his voice.

"You knew it was going to take a while, and he's only been gone a week", Harry reminded him.

"I know, but I still miss him."

"I know that, but just think of it this way, when they get back from the mission you can probably justify Sasuke taking the jounin exam, and then make him into your own personal bodyguard."

"As much as I like that idea, I don't know if Sasuke will really go for it", Naruto sighed.

"Just tell him his only other options are to take missions taking him away from his children for months at a time, or to be a sensei for a genin team."

"He'd hate both of those options", Naruto stated.

"Yeah, that's the point, whereas if he's your bodyguard he can be around you and the babies all the time, as well as make sure no-one else comes anywhere near you. Like the Kazekage."

"Gaara? What does he have to do with anything?" Naruto asked.

"No idea, but Sasuke really hates him for some reason, and apparently its to do with your relationship with him", Harry revealed.

"He's just jealous", Naruto shrugged. "Now – go!" he admonished Harry. Harry smiled sheepishly, giving the triplets one last look as he went over to grab the stick.

"Do you have any news from Sasuke yet?" he asked, as he picked up the stick.

"They decided to head for one of Orochimaru's old bases in Kusagakure, between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, hoping that they would find some information on where Kabuto is currently basing himself. Then they're going to continue on to Amegakure, and see if Kabuto has gone for Yahiko's and/or Nagato's bodies yet."

"Okay, well let me know if you need anything", Harry said. Naruto nodded and waved goodbye, just as the portkey activated and pulled Harry from Naruto and Sasuke's house in the Uchiha district all the way back to Grimmauld Place in Britain.

As Harry's feet hit the ground, he shook his head, never having been able to get completely used to portkeys. He felt someone come up behind him, and soon a pair of pale arms circled his waist, a chin leaning on his shoulder.

"Missed you", was whispered in Harry's ear. Harry smiled, turning to greet his boyfriend.

"Missed you too", Harry replied, equally quietly, as he hugged Draco against him, placing a chaste but long kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

Although it had been first thing in the morning in Konoha, in Britain it was evening, which Harry had intended, as it meant that the jet-lag the portkey had caused could be slept off straight-away. This also meant that Harry could quickly adjust to the new time zone.

"We only have a few days before the train back to school", Draco pointed out, as he tugged Harry towards the stairs.

"I see you've redone the house", Harry pointed out, pretending not to notice the blatant flirting.

"You can look in the morning", Draco said, tugging Harry more insistently, leading him upstairs to the master bedroom.

"But what if I wake up in the middle of the night and don't know where anything is?" Harry asked innocently, as he was pushed to sit on the new king-sized bed which dominated the master bedroom.

"What could you need in the middle of the night that is likely to have been moved? The bathroom and kitchen may have been redone, but they're still in the same places", Draco pointed out, as he pulled off Harry's shirt and tossed it across the room.

"What if I want food?" Harry asked, as Draco's own shirt was tossed in the same direction as Harry's.

"Don't", Draco replied simply, kneeling down beside the bed and opening Harry's trousers, palming at Harry's semi-hard erection. Harry groaned in pleasure, flopping back onto the soft mattress. Draco smirked up at him, although it was lost on Harry, whose eyes had closed in pleasure as he gasped at the sensations Draco was able to draw out of him even while only palming at him through his underwear.

Suddenly, Harry felt a hot mouth close around the tip of his cock. He groaned in surprise and pleasure, not having noticed that Draco had pulled down his underwear. Draco was kneeling on the floor between Harry's legs, slowly sucking on the tip of Harry's erection. While Harry was distracted by this, Draco removed the dark-haired young man's trousers, underwear and shoes, also slipping off his own trousers.

"You were waiting for this, weren't you?" Harry asked, groaning again at the pleasure Draco was eliciting.

"What makes you say that?" Draco asked, pulling back to look up at Harry, an innocent expression adorning his face.

"You aren't wearing shoes or socks. Or underwear", Harry noted.

"So?"

"So you were waiting for me."

"Maybe", Draco shrugged. "But so what if I was? After all, you've been gone for almost two months, and this is a new bed..." he trailed off, innocent expression morphing briefly into a smirk as he returned his mouth to Harry's erection, one hand gripping the inside of Harry's thigh, while the other slid back to rub teasingly at Harry's hole.

"Fuck", Harry swore, as he felt his orgasm building. "Nngh, Dray – going to...fuck, stop or I'll...ah!" he moaned loudly, come shooting down Draco's throat. Draco hummed as he continued to suck, swallowing everything Harry gave. Harry's body stuttered, hips trying to arch off the bed while he also tried to keep himself from making his boyfriend gag. Harry soon sank back into the mattress, while Draco stood up.

"Enjoy yourself?" Draco asked.

"I did warn you to stop", Harry pointed out, gasping for breath as he shuffled up the bed to rest his head on the pillows. Draco knelt on the bed, crawling up it until his knees were on either side of Harry's chest.

"I suppose I can't blame you, you probably haven't done anything in a while", Draco teased, as he ran one of his hands through Harry's hair.

"And you have?" Harry pointed out.

"More than you probably could do if you were sharing a tent with other people."

"I wasn't on missions the whole time", Harry stated.

"Then you don't have any excuse to finish so quickly", Draco pointed out.

"Maybe it's just because you're so amazing", Harry contended, looking up at his boyfriend.

"Or – mmmh", Draco moaned, as Harry cut off his retort by licking at the tip of Draco's rock-hard erection, which was close to his mouth due to Draco's position sat on Harry's chest. Harry reached up to grip Draco's hips, pulling the blond forwards until his entire erection was encased in Harry's mouth. Harry hummed as his nose was buried in wiry blond hairs, tongue tracing the underside of Draco's cock as he swallowed repeatedly. Draco gripped the headboard with both hands, rolling his hips, slowly at first, but then increasing in speed, until he was fucking Harry's mouth, gasping and cursing, as Harry hummed repeatedly, sending pleasurable vibrations through Draco's body. It wasn't long before the blond came down Harry's throat, gasping out Harry's name as he rode out his orgasm.

When Draco came down from his high, he was lying on his back, Harry lying on tip of him with his head on Draco's chest.

"You okay?" Draco asked.

"Just waiting for you to wake up – looks like I'm ready for another round", Harry replied, indicating his cock, which had hardened again.

"Obviously it just turns you on when I'm on top", Draco pointed out, before flipping their positions, pressing Harry down into the bed. Draco settled his entire weight on top of Harry, easily trapping him against the bed, and leaned in to kiss Harry deeply.

"Really missed you", Draco muttered, as he pulled back from the kiss to nip at Harry's neck.

"Me too", Harry muttered in reply, before groaning as two fingers began rubbing against his hole. He muttered a spell in parseltongue, making Draco briefly start in surprise, before he smirked at Harry.

"Couldn't wait for me to even reach over to the nightstand?" he asked.

"No", Harry replied. Draco didn't immediately respond, instead rubbing his now lubricated fingers more insistently against Harry's hole, before slipping one inside.

"It's not like it would have taken long, the lube is just sitting right there", Draco pointed out.

"Shut up and hurry up", Harry groaned out, as a second lubricated finger joined the first. Draco decided to do as Harry had said, especially as his own erection had returned, and he wanted nothing more than to bury it inside his boyfriend's willing body. Draco worked his fingers in and out rapidly, adding a third, but avoiding hitting Harry's prostate, wanting to tease his boyfriend as much as possible. However, that was proving increasingly difficult, as his own body was screaming at him to get on with it.

"Ready?" Draco asked.

"Yes", Harry gasped out, as Draco popped his fingers out of Harry's body, moving up the bed to kiss Harry. Draco knelt between Harry's spread legs, which Harry lifted to wrap around Draco's waist. As Draco slowly slid inside Harry, the blond soon found himself pulled forwards, Harry not only making Draco enter him quickly, but also pulling the blond forwards so that their faces were only centimetres apart. Harry leaned up to kiss Draco as the blond began thrusting.

"Fuck Harry", Draco gasped.

"I think fucking is generally harder. And faster", Harry stated, looking pointedly at Draco.

"Fine", Draco responded, kneeling up and gripping Harry's waist. "But remember that you asked for it", he said, before setting a brutal pace, thrusting in and out of Harry rapidly. Harry moaned and writhed on the bed, hands fisting in the sheets, as Draco's erection assaulted his prostate.

With the rapid speed Draco had set, it didn't take long for either of them to get close to their climaxes, despite both having had an orgasm so recently.

"Draco, won't last much longer", Harry gasped out, arching his whole body up against Draco's.

"Me neither, but you asked for it hard and fast", Draco said, still managing to sound like a perfect Slytherin even when at the height of his own pleasure. He reached down and wrapped a hand around Harry's cock, trying to jerk it in time with his thrusts, but his own pleasure meant that he was almost immediately just jerking Harry off while thrusting wildly, in no way managing to keep the two actions in time with one another. Harry screamed Draco's name as his come shot across their stomachs, his back arching almost ninety-degrees off of the bed as his orgasm hit him. Draco continued thrusting and jerking Harry until Harry was completely finished, then released Harry's cock and gripped his hips, his thrusts becoming impossibly wilder and more erratic as he neared his own peak. Harry tightened his legs around Draco's waist as the blond stilled, moaning Harry's name as he orgasmed, come shooting deep into Harry's body. Draco gave a few more lazy thrusts, before pulling out, flopping onto the bed beside Harry.

"Wow", Harry said.

"Yeah, I am pretty amazing", Draco replied.

"Arrogant bastard", Harry muttered, but smiled as he moved closer to Draco. He muttered a spell to clean them both off, as Draco pulled the covers up over them.

"I was hoping you'd stay dirty", Draco pouted.

"I'm not clean inside", Harry pointed out, trying to smirk at Draco, but failing as his eyes began to droop.

"Go to sleep", Draco said, tugging Harry into a cuddle. "I'll deal with that comment in the morning."

"Deal with it how?" Harry asked sleepily.

"Well, either clean you with my tongue, do it again so there's even more inside you, suggest you get even by fucking me, or we could shower", Draco replied, listing the most obvious responses.

"Maybe all of them?" Harry asked. "But sleep first", he added, before falling asleep almost immediately. Draco smiled down at him as he cuddled Harry close, wondering if Harry had really registered what he had said – and wondering if they'd have time to do all of that, when he knew they would have to got to Diagon Alley as soon as possible for supplies for the following year.  _Although,_ Draco added to himself,  _one day in bed wouldn't hurt, then Diagon Alley, then Harry will have four days to recover from Diagon Alley before the fifth day, which is the Saturday we go back to Hogwarts_. Draco drifted off to sleep beside Harry, thinking about the next few days, leading up to their last year of school.

* * *

Harry woke up slowly, blinking against the invading light. Suddenly, the light brightened, as the curtains were thrown open.

"Time to get up", Draco said, smiling as he watched his boyfriend burrow deeper under the covers.

"What happened to a day in bed?" Harry near-whined into the pillows.

"We did that yesterday. And we need to sort out our things for next year before Gringotts this afternoon."

"I know", Harry relented, rolling slowly out of the bed and heading for the bathroom.

"Nice view", Draco commented at Harry's naked ass, as he watched Harry enter the ensuite bathroom.

"Care to join me?" Harry asked, winking at his boyfriend as the bathroom door swung closed behind him. Draco groaned and steeled himself.

"Just hurry up!" he called as he left the bedroom and headed downstairs.

Without Draco to distract him – not that Harry wouldn't have liked the distraction – Harry managed to get ready quickly, and soon joined Draco downstairs.

"That was quick", Draco noticed.

"I guess it was as I wasn't distracted", Harry emphasised.

"Which means we'll have time to do everything we need to do", Draco pointed out.

"Yeah, I suppose", Harry relented. "You ready to go?"

"Are you?" Draco asked.

"I'll be fine, let's just sort out the shopping, shall we?"

"Sure", Draco agreed, although he didn't sound so sure, as he and Harry headed towards the fireplace to Floo to Diagon Alley.

The two of them arrived through the Floo system into the Hog's Head and went into Diagon Alley.

"Okay, so what do we need?" Harry asked. "I never actually checked the letters."

"Don't worry, I have. How about we head to the book store and then over to get new robes?" Draco suggested.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

A few hours later, Harry and Draco were eating lunch in a small cafe towards the back of Diagon Alley, surrounded by shopping bags full of books, clothes and various other items.

"What time is it?" Harry asked. Draco leaned back to take a look at the clock.

"1.30", Draco replied. "We have to be at Gringotts at 2, right?"

"Quarter to 2", Harry corrected him. "So we should probably get going." Draco nodded in reply and stood up. He grabbed the bags and headed outside, calling Kreacher to come to take the bags back to Grimmauld. Meanwhile, Harry paid for their lunch before joining Draco outside, so the two of them could head for Gringotts.

They got to Gringotts just as it got to 1.45pm.

"Are you sure about this?" Draco asked.

"Do I have another option?" Harry retorted.

"You know what I mean, it doesn't have to be you every time. Besides, what of you do something that's too far?"

"Too far?" Harry repeated.

"Something which shows your abilities that the Hokage wouldn't like", Draco explained quietly, conscious of the bustling crowd of people coming and going from Gringotts.

"Don't worry so much, Naruto is one of the Hokages, and Tsunade likes me as well. Anyway, Fudge has already spotted us", he added, as he noticed the Minister making his way across the crowded bank to meet him.

"Ah, Harry, good morning", Fudge greeted him, shaking his hand. "And Draco as well", he added, shaking Draco's hand as well. "The goblin in charge of the Ministry vaults is expecting us if you both want to come with me."

Harry smiled politely and nodded to Fudge. He noticed Draco was a little closer to him than normal, so turned his head slightly.

"Order Alert", Draco whispered, scratching his nose at the same time so that no-one would see his mouth. "Shacklebolt, Granger, Weasley two and two."

"Got it", Harry muttered back.  _That's Kingsley, Hermione, Ginny and Ron, and Arthur and Molly,_ Harry said to himself.  _Wonder why it needs three adults to get three kids their school things, especially when they're all 16 and 17 already._

Harry and Draco followed the Minister towards the back of the bank and up the stairs.

"Is everything okay?" the Minister asked them.

"Yes sir, sorry, I just noticed some Order members", Draco explained.

"You mean former Order members, surely?" Fudge asked.

"I'm not sure sir, although Dumbledore is dead and some former members like Professor Lupin don't want anything to do with it any more", Draco replied.

"We thought we should keep an eye on them just to make sure", Harry pointed out. "They also have a problem with me and Draco being together."

"Well that's silly, it's not like it's any of their business if the two of you want to be together", the Minister pointed out. "Ah, it's this one", he added, stopping at a particular door. He knocked before entering and greeting the goblin inside.

"So, what is your business here today?" the goblin asked, having issued his own greeting.

"There is an item hidden in a Vault belonging to a former Death Eater that needs to be destroyed", the Minister stated matter-of-factly. The goblin looked at him. Harry realised that the goblin had likely perceived the Minister as rude, so decided to try to placate the situation.

"The Vault numbered 631, previously belonging to the Lestrange family", Harry explained. "It has one of Voldemort's Horcruxes in it, and we have to destroy it or Voldemort could be revived."

"I see", the goblin said thoughtfully. "Do you have the key?" he asked, addressing the Minister.

"Yes, here you go", the Minister responded, handing the goblin the key. The Minister received a nod in reply and led them down through the bank to the appropriate vault.

"I take it you are the one going to destroy it?" the goblin asked, looking at Harry.

"Was it that obvious?" Harry asked.

"You seem nervous about something."

"Yeah, it just takes a lot of power."

"Perhaps if we moved the Horcrux?" the Minister suggested.

"It isn't a good idea to touch it sir", Draco pointed out.

"If it is okay with the both of you," Harry began, addressing the goblin and the Minister, "then Draco and I can go in there alone, and you close the door behind us. This isn't the first one we've gotten rid of."

"We cannot lock you inside, as the door would then not open for 24 hours, it's standard for Ministry vaults", the goblin stated. "However, we can push the door so that it is only open a crack, and leave it that way until one of you knocks on the door?"

"Would that be acceptable, Minister?" Harry asked.

"As much as I would like to offer you support, I also do not want to get in your way. Go ahead, and good luck", Fudge added, as they reached the correct vault. Harry and Draco stepped out of the boat, followed by the goblin, who let them into the vault and pulled the door almost-closed behind them.

"Sure about this?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Draco retorted. Harry grinned at him as he walked over to a set of shelves on one side of the room, loaded with various valuables.

"It's the cup", Harry said, motioning to it. "I don't even need the memories, I can sense the Dark magic."

"What are you going to do?" Draco asked.

"Same as before, although I'm going to use something I copied from Sasuke", Harry replied.

"You wan't me to levitate it?"

"Please."

Draco did as Harry had asked, levitating Hufflepuff's Cup so that it was in the centre of the room in mid-air. Harry took a deep breath and activated his Sharingan, concentrating on the Cup.

"Amaterasu", he muttered under his breath, and the Cup burst into black flames.

Despite the power of the jutsu, Harry's lack of skill with it, combined with the strength of Voldemort's magic, meant it still took a few minutes to burn completely. As Harry swayed slightly, Draco walked over to help him, supporting Harry with his arm around the dark-haired young man's waist, as he headed back towards the vault door. He knocked on it, helping Harry out and back into the boat.

"That was quick", the Minister noticed.

"Like Harry said, sir, we've done this before. But Harry does most of the work, and it does tire him out."

"Of course, of course. At least you have a few days to recover before you head back to school", the Minister said.

"Yes sir. Would it be possible to Floo from inside the bank?" Draco asked, addressing the goblin. "There are certain...individuals who were saw on our way in who probably shouldn't see Harry like this."

"There is fireplace he can use in my office", the goblin replied, as they stepped out of the boat and headed back towards the goblin's office, Draco still supporting Harry.

They soon re-entered the goblin's office, and Harry stood up for a second:

"Well, thank you Harry", the Minister said, extending his hand. Harry shook it:

"No problem, Minister, I'm always happy to help. Although, if you don't mind, I really do need to lie down."

"Of course...perhaps dinner again once you've gotten settled back in school?"

"That would be great."

"Well then, I'll send you an owl. Thank you again", the Minister repeated, nodding to the goblin as he left.

"Thank you for letting us use your fireplace", Draco said to the goblin.

"It's no bother. Perhaps one day I'll be seeing one or both of you in here as the Minister for Magic."

"Er – yeah...maybe", Draco responded, unsure what to say as he stepped into the fireplace and used the Floo to take both himself and Harry back to Grimmauld Place.

Harry and Draco stepped out of the fireplace in Grimmauld and headed upstairs to the master bedroom.

"Urgh, that always makes me so tired", Harry groaned, flopping onto the bed. Draco smiled as he removed Harry's shoes.

"At least there aren't so many left now", he pointed out. "Just the locket and Nagini."

"But Nagini can be anywhere, and we don't even know who RAB is yet."

"I'm working on it", Draco said gravely. "For now, why don't you rest? I'm going to sort out all of our shopping and start packing up ready for school."

"You know, I want to give you some crappy chat-up line and try to get you into bed, but I'm just too tired", Harry said sleepily.

"Then get some sleep. I'll sort everything out and wake you a little later", Draco replied, leaning over to kiss Harry's forehead before heading downstairs to sort out their shopping, leaving Harry alone in the master bedroom to sleep and recover from destroying yet another Horcrux.

* * *

A few days later, Harry was mostly recovered, and was leaning against the window of the Hogwarts Express as it sped through the English countryside.

"Harry, you okay?" Neville asked, snapping Harry out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine", Harry said, attention turning to the others in the compartment. Draco was sat beside him, and Neville opposite Harry, with Luna beside Neville.

"You sure?" Neville repeated.

"Yeah, sorry, just still a little tired", Harry apologised.

"Are you worried about the Order?" Luna asked him, changing the subject.

"I'm not sure", Harry replied. "The war is over and Dumbledore and Voldemort are dead, there shouldn't be any reason for them to still exist."

"Especially as most members are dead or have left, like Professors Lupin and Snape", Draco added.

"Who is even left in it?" Harry asked.

"In what?" Pansy asked, as she slid open the door, Blaise and Theo behind her.

"Hold on", Blaise said, as he slid the door closed and put a silencing charm over it. "Okay, go ahead."

"We were wondering who is left in the Order", Draco told them.

"They still exist?" Theo asked in surprise.

"Yeah, they do", Harry replied. "The most obvious would be the Weasleys, Granger and Professor McGonagall."

"As well as Shacklebolt and Moody", Neville added. "And maybe Tonks."

"Should we do anything?" Pansy asked.

"We can keep an eye on them, but the Minister already knows that they still exist. And what can they even do anyway?" Harry asked.

"They can be annoying, but there's not much they can really do", Luna agreed.

"Except at school", Harry said thoughtfully, looking out the window as the train continued heading north into Scotland.

"Well, not really", Blaise smirked. "Snape is the permanent Head from this year, didn't you know that?"

"No, I didn't", Harry responded, smirking in reply. "Guess it's only you that might have any issues, Neville", he added, looking at the young man sat opposite him.

"Don't worry abut it, I'll survive", Neville replied.

"Okay, change of subject, what is everyone doing after school?" Pansy asked.

"After school?" Harry asked.

"This is our last year, I was wondering what everyone was planning on doing after we graduate?" she explained.

"I've been talking to Professor Sprout and I should be able to take over from her", Neville said. "I have to intern underneath her for a few years first, but then I can take over."

"I'm going into the Academy", Blaise said.

"To be an Auror?" Neville asked.

"Yeah", Blaise nodded.

"Yeah, me too", Theo added. "Pansy?"

"I interned at the Prophet over the summer, and they offered me a paid internship after we graduate; hopefully they'll have a position free after that", she responded.

"I still have another year, so I don't really know yet", Luna put in.

"My mother doesn't really want to manage my father's estate, so I'll take over it", Draco said. "It'll be a full time job for several years just to fix everything that's been let go due to my father's focus on the war rather than business."

"Harry?" Pansy asked.

"Er...I don't really know yet", Harry said sheepishly.  _After all, I have to figure out if there's any way to balance being a shinobi and being with Draco,_ he added silently.

Draco looked at Harry.  _I wonder if he's planning on leaving permanently,_ he said to himself.  _Or if there'll be a way..._

The other five in the cabin realised that something was going on with Harry and Draco, but decided to just ignore it, continuing to talk among themselves while Harry and Draco were both off in their own thoughts, as the train continued on towards Hogwarts.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Another Horcrux, and the former members of Taka continue to look for Kabuto!**


	18. Another Horcrux Down, Only One To Go...

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, suggested KakaIru, suggested SaiSaku explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

The first couple of months of Harry's final year at Hogwarts passed by fairly uneventfully. The timetables for the seventh years were identical to what they had had the previous year, with the exception of Apparation classes, now replaced by an empty Wednesday afternoon. This meant that they quickly got used to their classes and how to prioritise their workloads, even if even more work was being piled on them as they were, as they were continually reminded, in their final year.

It was now the end of October, and Harry and Draco were returning from dinner with the Minister.

"You know, I always thought politics would bore someone like you", Draco said, as he and Harry entered the latter's house in Grimmauld Place.

" 'Someone like me'?" Harry repeated, smiling.

"I know you aren't a Gryffindor, but sometimes I think the only reason I can put up with it is because I was raised knowing I would have to enter politics whether I liked it or not."

"Well, from what I know, my grandmother was a Black, so I guess it's in my blood even if I wasn't raised with it."

"Your grandmother was a Black?" Draco asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"So was my mother..."

"I doubt we're that closely related, so I'm sure it is fine", Harry responded, although his tone made it clear he wasn't actually so sure.

"Well, let's check", Draco suggested, heading upstairs.

"Check how?" Harry asked suggestively.

"Not like that!" Draco called down the stairs. "Now, come on!"

"You're the one talking about checking something to do with sex while telling me to come upstairs with you!" Harry called, as he followed Draco upstairs.

"When exactly did I say anything about sex?" Draco asked in mock exasperation, as he stood outside a particular door.

"I don't know, lineage...parentage...sex...something like that...what are we doing anyway?"

"In here", Draco said, opening the door and heading into the room. Harry followed his boyfriend into a room he had forgotten about – the room with the Black family tree decorating the walls. "Now," Draco continued, "we find your grandmother and my mother – you know her name, right?"

"Yeah, she's here", Harry indicated. Draco looked around the room, locating the name Narcissa Black, before following the lines which connected the names.

"Looks like our last common ancestor is about ten generations ago", Draco revealed.

"Well, that's fine then. Now, bed?"

"Huh."

"What is it?"

"That's your godfather, right?" Draco asked. Harry followed Draco's finger to a burnt section, the name Sirius Black just visible underneath.

"Yeah, so?"

"I just noticed as they are so close, probably as he was my mother's cousin."

"I don't –" Harry began, unsure what Draco was talking about.

"Sirius is here", Draco interrupted. "And here's his brother", he added, indicating the image just beside Sirius:

"Regulus Arcturus Black", Harry read out. "I still don't get it."

"Regulus Arcturus Black", Draco repeated. "Or, in other words, R.A.B."

"You think it was him?" Harry asked.

"Why not? It says here that he's dead, possibly why we couldn't figure out any information on R.A.B."

"Yeah, but he's not burnt – so he was loyal to Voldemort", Harry pointed out.

"Maybe he changed his mind?" Draco suggested.

"If he's not burnt..."

"What is it?"

"Sirius was and Regulus wasn't...so their parents probably left the Lordship to Regulus until he died...so...Kreacher!" Harry called.

With a crack, the elf appeared in the room:

"What can Kreacher be doing for Master Harry?" the elf asked.

"Kreacher, did you ever belong to Sirius' brother Regulus?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Kreacher was Master Regulus' elf until Master Regulus died."

"How did he die?" Draco asked. Kreacher did not answer for a moment, merely looking between the two young wizards.

"Kreacher?" Harry asked.

"Master Regulus be good to Kreacher...he not deserve that death."

"Kreacher...we are looking for and destroying certain items which could be used to resurrect Voldemort", Harry explained. "One of them was a locket previously belonging to Salazar Slytherin, but after I managed to get a hold of it, it turned out it was a fake, with a note inside from someone with the initials R.A.B. If that was Regulus, and he had to drink the same poison that I had to, then I understand why you don't want to recount his death."

"Master Harry not be dying from the poison?" Kreacher asked, wide-eyed.

"I had Snape on my side – he helped identify, and make an antidote for, the poison. But it was still incredibly painful, so I get it if you don't want to tell us too many details. Just answer these questions: 1) is R.A.B. really Regulus, and, if so, then 2) what happened to the real locket?"

"Masters Harry and Draco be being correct, it was Master Regulus. He hid the locket here in the house."

"It's here?" Harry and Draco asked in unison.

"I never saw it when I was having the redecorating done", Draco added.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"I guess I might not have known what it looked like, but I did see the fake one, and surely I would have sensed something from a Horcrux?"

"Kreacher could look for it for Masters Harry and Draco?"

"Thank you, Kreacher, that would be good", Harry thanked the elf, who popped away with a crack.

Harry looked around the room, at the various names, many burnt out.

"Draco, can we do anything with this room?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Undo the burn marks...Add more names like yours...Add my parents and some other shinobi family members like my brothers...Can we do that?"

"Well, there's room to add more, including me, your parents, and your brothers, but probably not too many others on your family tree. Also, we'll be really far apart, probably on different walls, so it will be a really long line if we connect ourselves. And I don't know if the burn marks can be undone, but we may be able to redo those bits of the wall so there is a new image on top of the burn?" Draco suggested.

"That sounds good", Harry replied.

"Masters Harry and Draco?" Kreacher said, as he popped back into the room.

"Did you find it, Kreacher?" Harry asked.

"No, Kreacher be remembering...when that redheaded woman be ordering the house be cleaned just over two years ago, the locket be being one of the things which she threw away."

"Molly threw a Horcrux in the bin?!" Harry said incredulously.

"Yes, she be trying, but someone else get it back out...Mundungus Fletcher. Kreacher be expecting that he sell it, but Kreacher could not stop him", the elf said sadly.

"Don't worry, Kreacher, it isn't your fault", Harry replied, smiling at the elf. "And you have helped a lot – we know more than we did thanks to you."

Kreacher bowed, if somewhat unsurely, before popping away.

"If Mundungus sold it..." Draco began.

"I know, it could have passed hands a lot, and may even belong to a Death Eater now, but most of the ones who would have been powerful or intelligent enough to bring Voldemort back are either dead or in Azkaban. And I would have been able to sense it through the Horcrux we destroyed at Gringott's a couple of months ago if he was alive again."

"So what are you thinking?" Draco asked, as he and Harry left the Black family tree room and headed back downstairs.

"Mundungus tended to hang out in Knockturn Alley a lot...and I bet he still does. I'll head there under a genjutsu so no-one can really see me, find him, get him alone, and make him tell me what he did with the locket."

"Sounds good", Draco agreed, as the two of them headed for the fireplace, to Floo back to school.

"I'll wait a couple of weeks, maybe a month", Harry continued. "Then I'll be 'sick', and while sleeping in the dorm – I'll leave a shadow clone in case – I'll actually go to Knockturn and scout out a few areas, see if I can find him."

"It might take you a few visits to find him", Draco pointed out.

"I know, but there isn't really any other way. Should we head back?"

"Yeah", Draco agreed, using the Floo to head back to the school, directly into the Slytherin common room. Harry followed him, wondering how long it would take for him to find Mundungus and ultimately locate Slytherin's locket.

* * *

Sasuke sat in one corner of the room, watching as Suigetsu and Karin argued over the tops of some computer screens. Juugo was watching the entrance in case anyone were to return, especially as, when they had arrived at this particular former base of Orochimaru's, it seemed as if it had recently been active. The room the other three were in was much deeper in to the base, leaving Sasuke with no-one to talk to while the couple in front of him argued about nonsense.

"If there's nothing useful on the computers, why are we still here?" Sasuke asked them both.

"There could be something useful; I haven't finished yet", Karin pointed out.

"Why would there be anything on there anyway?" Suigetsu drawled.

"If the base is still active, or was active recently, then there might be something not deleted yet", Karin responded.

"Hurry up", Sasuke said. "And stop arguing over everything", he added, heading back through the base, nominally to check on Juugo, but actually to get away from the perpetually arguing couple.

The four of them were in one of Orochimaru's former bases in the northern part of the Land of Earth. They had been in the Land of Earth for some months, firstly looking at the bases which they knew about from their time with Orochimaru, as well as those Konoha was aware of, before they decided to head back through the Land of Earth towards Amegakure. However, on their way, they had found out from some locals about another base, and had stopped to check it out.

Sasuke rubbed his eyes slightly, which were a little sore, as he rounded a corner, heading towards Juugo.

"Anything going on here?" he asked Juugo.

"No. You guys find anything?"

"No idea. They're arguing again."

"You say 'again' like it ever stopped", Juugo retorted. "How are your eyes?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Fine", Sasuke replied dismissively. Juugo looked at the dark-haired young man, the expression on his face clearly showing his disbelief in Sasuke's statement, but he did not respond.

Sasuke stayed sitting with Juugo in silence for almost an hour before Karin and Suigetsu finally joined them, Karin running quickly to join them, while Suigetsu followed, not running but still walking rapidly.

"We need to go", Karin said breathlessly.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"Kabuto was here until recently. He packed up and left only a few days ago, a week at most. He has the bodies of three of the Akatsuki members already, and now he's going for Nagato in Amegakure", Karin responded rapidly.

"Itachi?" Sasuke asked.

"There's no record of him having been here directly – the three we know he has are Kakuzu, Deidera and Sasori – but he has recent research on the Sharingan, so either he has Itachi, is looking for Itachi, or wants your eyes."

"And if he wanted your eyes he'd probably be working harder to get you, so the research is probably connected to Itachi", Suigetsu added.

"We should get to Amegakure as soon as possible", Juugo put in. "We may be able to get there before Kabuto moves on."

"Did you download everything from the computers?" Sasuke asked Karin and Suigetsu.

"No, that will take a few hours at least, and I thought you'd want to leave straightaway", Karin stated.

"You and Suigetsu stay here, download everything, and catch up with us in Amegakure; Juugo and I will go ahead", Sasuke ordered. The other three nodded, Suigetsu and Karin heading back into the base, while Sasuke and Juugo left, to make their way through the Land of Earth to Amegakure.

"Should we stop at some point and send a message to Konoha?" Juugo suggested, as they ran through the Land of Earth towards the mountains south of their position, which formed the border between the Land of Earth and Amegakure.

"They knew we were going to head to Amegakure after we were done here", Sasuke pointed out.

"It still might be useful to tell them that Kabuto already definitely has three Akatsuki bodies, and whose bodies."

"We haven't got time –"

"Sasuke, just stop for five minutes and send a letter", Juugo sighed. "We left Konoha at the end of August, and it's now the start of December – you haven't seen Naruto or your kids in three and a half months. Just send a quick letter."

"Fine", Sasuke relented, swayed by thoughts of his children. However, he still refused to stop moving, instead pulling a scroll and pen from his pocket and writing a letter while continuing to run alongside Juugo.

_Naruto,_

_Kabuto has Kakuzu, Deidera and Sasori. He's heading for Amegakure for Nagato. We located a recently active base. Suigetsu and Karin have stayed to get all the information. Gana will tell you the location. Juugo and I are heading to Amegakure. We're about a week behind Kabuto._

_I'll let you know if we find anything. Say hello to the triplets for me. I miss you._

Sasuke stopped briefly, biting his finger and forming the hand seals Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram. He pushed his palm flat to the floor, and a puff of smoke formed as he summoned a small snake.

"Gana, take this to the Rokudaime immediately. The place it refers to is approximately 1 mile north of our current position; please indicate the area to Naruto so that he can send others to the base if he wants."

"Sure", the small snake agreed, before popping away in another puff of smoke. Sasuke quickly moved to catch up with Juugo, both of them continuing to move rapidly towards the mountainous border and on to Amegakure.

* * *

In Britain, November and most of December had passed by quickly. As the snow began to fall more, and the Christmas holidays were just about to begin, Harry and Draco were sitting on Draco's bed in the Slytherin boys dorms.

"So are you still going to go to Konoha afterwards?" Draco asked.

"Not sure if I will be able to – or if there's any point for such a brief amount of time", Harry replied, his eyes on the piece of paper in his hand.

"Where did they find her?" Draco asked.

"In a forest area just outside Little Hangleton."

"Near Riddle Manor? I guess that makes sense."

"Yeah, Voldemort did live there for a while, and Nagini was with him for at least some of that", Harry stated.

"Where are they holding her?" Draco asked.

"At the Ministry. Fudge wants me to go and destroy the Horcrux inside her and then they are going to decide what to do with her."

"What to do with her?"

"Whether they should kill her, send her back to live with her own kind, put her in a zoo somewhere..."

"Can you destroy the Horcrux without killing her?"

"I don't know. Technically, the one in me was destroyed when I died, or at least came really close to dying. And the others I've destroyed so far were objects which I just melted. I'm not really sure what to do with Nagini other than just kill her."

"And I'm guessing you'd rather not?" Draco asked.

"I don't know...she was with Voldemort, but I can talk to her...maybe she'll be okay without him and not hurt anyone...or she might...I really don't know what to do", Harry sighed.

"The Christmas holidays start the day after tomorrow, and I'm guessing the Minister wants you there the day after that at the latest."

"You aren't helping", Harry pointed out, falling forwards to bury his face in the pillows. Draco shifted to lie down beside Harry, pulling him into a cuddle, Harry's head tucked under Draco's chin.

"The only thing you can do is talk to her and hope that she is evil enough to warrant you killing her. Otherwise, you'll have to try to find a way to destroy the Horcrux without killing her, probably by almost killing her, like what happened to you", Draco pointed out.

"I know", Harry muttered. "So how do I kill her without killing her all the way?"

"I don't know", Draco responded apologetically.

"The only thing I can think of is use weapons to make her bleed to death and then stop the bleeding and resuscitate her, but it's not like we can give a snake a blood transfusion", Harry retorted.

"I don't suppose you know a jutsu that will only briefly kill someone? Or bring them back to life or something?"

"Technically I can do something that can bring people back to life, but it could end up killing me, and again, it's for people, she's a snake. But I can talk to her, so as far as I'm concerned she is basically a person."

"Just a serpentine one", Draco retorted.

"Asshole", Harry said back to him, leaning up to follow his fake insult with a brief kiss.

The two of them stayed cuddling on Draco's bed for almost an hour, before Harry reluctantly pulled himself away from his boyfriend.

"I'd better write to say I'm not going to Konoha", he explained.

"Do you want to go to Grimmauld for the holidays?" Draco asked.

"Why not...you want to stay there too?"

"Wouldn't that mean we were basically living together?"

"Won't that happen at some point anyway?" Harry asked.

"I guess", Draco replied, smiling, yet still wondering if they really would end up living together or if Harry would be leaving to go to Konoha permanently after graduation.  _I know I think about this all the time,_ Draco said to himself, _but it seems like it's getting more and more present as we get closer and closer to finishing school..._

Harry didn't notice Draco was thinking so heavily, as he had moved to sit at the desk near his own bed, pulling out a quill and ink and a piece of parchment in order to write his letter.

_Tsunade-sama,_

_I decided to write to you rather than Naruto as I know he's probably busy, especially as I know Sasuke is still not back. Although I was planning on returning to Konoha for the school break which starts soon, I am needed here, so I cannot make it back. This means that I won't be in Konoha until my next break from school, which is Saturday April 4th to Sunday April 26th._

_I will so you then,_

_Uchiha Harry._

"Still writing in English?" Draco commented, as he leaned over Harry's shoulder.

"Yeah, I can speak Japanese basically fluently, and reading it is pretty okay as well, but I'm still only learning to write it."

"Fair enough. What about your surname?"

"It's the one I use in Konoha. When it's okay for everyone to know it I might change it here as well, as it is my real name. What do you think about that?"

"It doesn't make a difference to me, does it?" Draco replied.

"Well, it might do some day", Harry pointed out.

"I guess", Draco responded unsurely. Harry looked at him in concern, about to ask him what the matter was, but Draco cut him off: "I'm going to go take a shower. Why don't you go to the library and see if you can find a spell that almost kills something?" he suggested, grabbing a towel and heading into the bathroom. Harry looked at Draco's retreating back, and the door which closed behind Draco, wondering what was wrong with his boyfriend. He decided it might be better not to ask just yet, instead summoning Maia to take his message to Tsunade. He then grabbed his bag to head off to the library, figuring that Draco's suggestion was a good one, even if his boyfriend was clearly not okay at the moment, for whatever reason.

* * *

A couple of days later, Harry was in the living room of his house in Grimmauld Place, about to head through the Floo to the Ministry.

"Did you ever sort out what you were going to do?" Draco asked from the doorway.

"I'm going to speak to her on my own, and see what she's really like without Voldemort around. If I have to, I'll just kill her. Otherwise, I'll explain to her that the Horcrux in her has to be destroyed, and that to do that I have to almost kill her. It'll all just depend on what she's really like."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Draco asked.

"Do you want to tell me what's been bothering you for the last few days?"

"Harry –"

"If you're going to say something about how I wouldn't understand or anything like that, just don't bother. I figured you'd want to tell me whatever it is, but if you don't then fine, whatever."

"Harry, it's just...I just...you keep mentioning things like living together, and surnames, and...what about Konoha? Won't you just be going back there after school?"

"I don't know how it's going to work after we graduate, but I will make sure that we can stay together", Harry said, going over to hug Draco reassuringly. "And you should have told me that you were worried about that all this time."

"I didn't want you to think I was being stupid", Draco replied, muffling his voice in Harry's shoulder.

"I wouldn't have", Harry replied, hugging Draco tightly. "I have to go and sort this thing with Nagini, but I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay", Draco replied, kissing Harry quickly, before the dark-haired young man headed over to Floo to the Ministry.

Harry arrived in the main foyer of the Ministry, heading over to the reception desk to sign in, before heading up to the Minister's office. He knocked on the door, and entered when he heard the response from inside.

"Good morning, Minister", Harry greeted the man with a bow.

"Good morning, Harry, are you ready to take down one more?" Fudge asked him.

"Where is Nagini, sir?"

"Right to business as usual. She is in a holding cell in a different section of the Ministry; I will take you to her now."

Harry followed Fudge through the Ministry, remaining in silence. When they reached the place Nagini was being held, Harry asked to speak to her alone. The Minister agreed, and Harry entered the room, instantly spotting the long snake curled up in one corner.

"Good morning, Nagini", Harry hissed in parseltongue.

"You think because you speak my language I will help you?" she replied.

"You are one of Voldemort's Horcruxes", Harry stated. "Either I kill you, or I at least come close, in order to destroy the Horcrux within you."

"So you are going to kill me?" she assumed.

"That depends. If I try to make sure you survive, what will you do then?"

"What are my options?"

"Imagine that you have whatever option you want. What would you want to do?"

"If there were someone willing to have me as their familiar, I suppose I could join them. But the only other parselmouth is you, and I doubt you would be so willing."

"I don't think I could take you, I couldn't really house you", Harry replied apologetically. "But I could find somewhere for you, I'm sure."

"Fine. Try to ensure I survive. Then find a parselmouth who will take me", Nagini said.

"Okay", Harry agreed, nodding. "The only way I know to do this is to injure you until you almost die, or use the Killing Curse and focus it on Voldemort's Horcrux rather than you."

"The second option would probably be quicker. Although you would have to use an Unforgivable", Nagini retorted.

"If you're sure, then I can do that", Harry agreed.

"Go ahead."

Harry drew his wand. He did know how to use the Killing Curse – he had learnt it when he and Draco were working on the shield which defended against it – but he had never even aimed it directly at another living thing, aiming several inches over Draco's head whenever they had been training. However, he knew that his only other option would be to continually attack her with various weapons. Harry took a deep breath, aiming his wand at Nagini, but focusing his mind on the Horcrux inside her, as he incanted:

"Avada Kedavra."

A green light erupted from the tip of Harry's wand, hitting Nagini. She hissed in pain, before becoming quiet. Harry took a deep breath, disliking how much anger he had to force up in order to cast the spell, as he headed over to check on her. He placed his hand on her gently, trying to feel for any sort of pulse, but found nothing. Harry sat down on the floor beside her, hoping that she would wake up soon, just as he had when Voldemort had used the Killing Curse on him.

Harry wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there for when the Minister knocked and entered, along with another man who Harry didn't recognise.

"Harry?"

"She's dead, isn't she?" Harry asked.

"This is Mr Michaels, he's an animal Healer", the Minister replied, introducing the other man, who went over to check on Nagini.

"She is dead, yes", he confirmed.

"Harry, are you alright?" Fudge asked.

"I was just hoping that she wouldn't die, as she might not actually have been as loyal to Voldemort as everyone believed", Harry replied. "If you don't mind, Minister, I should be going."

"Of course, go right ahead", Fudge replied happily, clearly not noticing that Harry far from shared his happiness.

Harry was effectively on auto-pilot as he headed up through the Ministry building to the main foyer, signing out and taking the Floo back to Grimmauld Place. When he arrived, he immediately went up to the bedroom, kicking off his shoes and jumper on the way, before curling up on the bed. Draco entered a few moments later. Draco didn't say anything, just went over to join Harry on the bed, cuddling his boyfriend close, not needing to ask what had happened – he could tell from the way Harry was behaving that Nagini was not evil but was dead. Draco just cuddled Harry silently, hoping his presence would make his boyfriend feel at least a little better about killing something he saw both as a person, and as at least somewhat innocent.

* * *

"Sasuke, would you slow down?" Suigetsu complained.

"No."

"I know we're almost at Amegakure –" Karin began.

"And it's the end of January", Juugo chimed in.

"Yeah, that too", Karin agreed. "But if you rush in without knowing the situation –"

"Kabuto is somewhere ahead of us. We need to catch up to him. Soon", Sasuke stated.

"Perhaps we should have gone slower rather than caught up to you, then we wouldn't be being made to move so fast now", Suigetsu muttered.

**_Sasuke's message had reached Naruto fairly quickly, and an intel team had been dispatched to the base. Karin and Suigetsu had left not long after the intel team arrived, but they were still a day behind Sasuke and Juugo. The only reason they had caught up at all was that Sasuke and Juugo had been forced to stop due to a storm, and Karin refused to allow Suigetsu to do so. They had met up in a cave just North of the border between the Land of Earth and Amegakure._ **

**_"Surprised you stopped just for rain", Suigetsu pointed out, as he and Karin entered the cave where Sasuke and Juugo were resting._ **

**_"Hn."_ **

**_"If you go over the next ridge of the mountain then it gets really windy, it's impossible to see with the rain blowing in your face", Juugo explained. "We decided to fall back to here and wait for the rain to let up."_ **

**_"Whatever", Suigetsu responded dismissively._ **

**_"What happened there?" Sasuke asked Karin._ **

**_"Naruto sent an intel team to continue", Karin replied. "But we do know that Kabuto was working with an Akatsuki member."_ **

**_"Who?" Sasuke asked._ **

**_"It didn't say", she responded. "But it seems like the only one it could be is the masked one who some of the Leaf-nin fought while you and Itachi...well, you know..."_ **

**_"Do we know anything about him?" Sasuke asked._ **

**_"Only that – that he has the Sharingan", Karin said carefully. "But no-one knows how."_ **

**_"Hn."_ **

**_"It looks like the rain is letting up", Juugo put in, changing the subject._ **

**_"Let's go", Sasuke stated, heading out of the cave before the others could say anything, the other three following him._ **

Suigetsu still thought that it was a little odd that Sasuke agreed to stop just due to a storm, but he also wondered how much it was to do with the problem with his eyes. Since leaving the cave, they had been moving continuously, only stopping when it was completely pitch black and starting again at the first sign of dawn, and were now just coming up to the village of Amegakure.

"Whoa", Karin breathed out, as the four of them came to a stop, looking down on the large body of water by the village, which was covered in burnt and bloody pieces of paper. On the side of the lake was a small boat, and the four of them went down to speak to the shinobi there, to see what had happened.

"What does the Leaf want here?" one of them asked, as the four of them approached.

"We're tracking a missing-nin", Karin replied. "Do you mind if we ask what happened here?"

"Why should we tell you?" he replied to her.

"Would it be possible to speak to a woman named Konan?" Karin asked.

"You know her?"

"She knows the Rokudaime Hokage", Karin stated. "And we need to speak to her."

"She's dead, isn't she?" Sasuke asked.

"What makes you say that?" the Ame-nin asked defensively.

"Her abilities were connected to paper. And the water is covered with burnt and bloody pieces of paper.."

"Yes, she just died", the other Ame-nin put in.

"What are you doing?" his companion asked him.

"What difference does it make? Besides, they might know things we don't", the second Ame-nin pointed out.

"I doubt that."

"We are tracking someone who we believe is collecting bodies of certain individuals. We found out that he may be after the body of someone named Nagato, a close friend of Konan, so we immediately headed this way once we found his base and confirmed this", Karin explained delicately, trying to avoid the word 'Akatsuki' in case it offended the Ame-nin.

"We don't know who she fought", the second Ame-nin explained. "She activated something that we know is her final defence for our village, a series of paper bombs."

"Her final defence is some paper bombs?" Suigetsu asked in disbelief.

"Shut up", Karin said to him, smacking him around the back of the head. "If she got close enough she could have killed him with them."

"It's not just some paper bombs", the first Ame-nin said.

"What do you mean?" Karin asked.

"It's a series of 600 billion paper bombs which create a continuous explosion which lasts for around ten minutes", the Ame-nin responded smugly.

"But it seems it didn't work", the second Ame-nin added.

"How did she die?" Sasuke asked.

"It may help us fight him", Karin added.

"Somehow he survived the paper bombs and managed to stab her straight through", the second Ame-nin said to them. "We found her face down in the water around an hour ago. Their fight mostly took place out on the water. We didn't realise that there was even an enemy here until the explosion began, as she didn't set off any alarms – as if she was expecting him. And we assumed the explosion had gotten him. By the time the smoke cleared, she was already dead in the water, and her opponent had gone."

"I see", Sasuke said.

"Thank you", Karin said to them, bowing.

"Are you going to kill him?" the second Ame-nin asked.

"Yes", Sasuke stated simply, before moving to the water, jumping onto the lake and walking across it. The two Ame-nin looked at him for a moment, before they walked back into their village, leaving Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo standing at the side of the lake, waiting for Sasuke to return.

Sasuke walked out a short way across the lake, looking at the paper remnants. He swept his gaze over the surrounding area, looking for any traces of Kabuto; however, he didn't find any, and soon returned to where the other three were waiting for him.

"Anything?" Suigetsu asked him.

"No", Sasuke responded.

"Konan wouldn't have left Nagato's body just anywhere", Karin reasoned. "And it would have to be somewhere dry, which isn't easy here."

"So underground somewhere?" Juugo asked.

"We should find out where the main building of the village is, the one Konan and Nagato worked from. Also, we should find out where Konan lived, if there was anywhere she lived that was different to the main building", Sasuke said.

"I'm pretty sure I remember a base of Orochimaru's near here", Suigetsu mused. "He kept me there for a while as it was near water."

"I'll come with you", Sasuke said.

"Okay, we'll go find out where Konan could have left Nagato's body", Karin responded. She and Juugo headed off into the village, while Suigetsu and Sasuke went back down onto the lake, walking across it at Suigetsu's pace.

"Do you really think Kabuto will go to one of Orochimaru's old bases again?" Suigetsu asked Sasuke.

"He might have had to if it was the only nearby place."

"I hope so, we left the village four months ago", Suigetsu muttered. Sasuke only glared at him in response, as he thought of Naruto and their children back in the village, while he was stuck out here trying to track down Itachi's eyes before his own degenerated to the point he became blind.

* * *

**Next Chapter - The Last Horcrux, Itachi's Eyes, and Sasuke gets a Surprise!**


	19. Sasuke Returns

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, suggested KakaIru, suggested SaiSaku, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

"Do you really think that this is going to work?" Draco asked Harry.

"No idea", Harry replied.

"I really don't want to be here", Draco muttered.

"It shouldn't take long", Harry pointed out. "And it's not like I really want to be here either", he added under his breath.

Harry and Draco were in a small room in the lower levels of Azkaban prison. They had been trying for months to find Mundungus so that they could locate the final Horcrux. Unfortunately, as they were still at school, it had proven difficult for them to do much towards locating him. And, when they finally had found him a few weeks ago, he had told them that he had given it to someone else a long time previously. The problem: this person had been in Azkaban for the last few months, having been tried for what she had done at Hogwarts. After Fudge had been re-elected he had waited for a while before holding the trial, as it was a delicate matter, but the trial had finally been held, and she had been sentenced to Azkaban for ten years. The Easter holidays had begun the previous day, and Harry and Draco had taken advantage of this to visit Azkaban – not that either of them really wanted to be there.

A knock at the door sounded briefly, before Amelia Bones entered with two Aurors, leading the prisoner.

"Good afternoon, Lord Potter, Lord Malfoy", she greeted them.

"Good afternoon, Madam Bones", Harry replied. "I wish we were meeting again under better circumstances."

"From what the Minister has told me, she has information you need, and it has to do with –"

"We're not sure exactly what she knows, ma'am", Draco interrupted. "But we haven't got long to find out given what will probably happen to her mind while incarcerated."

"We'll be outside", Madam Bones said grimly, leaving the prisoner in the room with them.

"Thank you", Harry replied.

The door closed behind them, leaving Harry and Draco in the dark room, with the woman cowering on the floor in the corner.

"We want information. Maybe, if you talk, then we can get the Dementors to leave you alone for a while", Harry addressed her.

"Liar, always a liar", she muttered, before cackling insanely.

"Was I a liar?" Draco asked her.

"Malfoy", she said thoughtfully. "No, no...Inquistorial Squad..."

"Yes, Professor Umbridge, I was in your squad", Draco sighed. "And I need to know something, otherwise this liar will spread more of his lies about Voldemort's return."

"Dementors, they'll –"

"Potter may be a liar, but we can get the Dementors to leave you alone for a bit", Draco pointed out. "Now, Mundungus Fletcher gave you a necklace as a bribe...and I need to find it."

"Valuable...with others."

"With other what?" Draco asked.

"Other valuables", Umbridge said, before dissolving into cackling laughter again.

"Thank you", Draco said, indicating to Harry that it was time for them to leave. Harry nodded in reply, heading out of the room, Draco behind him.

"Did you find the information you wanted?" Madam Bones asked them.

"I'm honestly not sure, ma'am, she's clearly been affected by the Dementors", Draco responded.

"We said we'd keep them away from her for a while", Harry said. "We didn't technically say how long for, but if it is possible, then it would be helpful."

"Of course, you don't want to be seen as a liar after all, even by her", Madam Bones agreed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you", Harry replied, before he and Draco headed to the Apparition point underneath the prison.

Soon enough, the two of them had Apparated to the Ministry foyer, signing in before heading up to Fudge's office in the lift.

On the way, Draco looked at Harry:

"Why did you really ask for the Dementors to be kept away from Umbridge if possible? If we had been lying, then only Umbridge and us would have known, and she hardly counts."

"She might have more information for us. Her becoming more insane won't help us much. And if I end up with the reputation of being good even to convicted prisoners who scarred me for life...well, I don't think that would really be a bad thing."

"I guess not", Draco smirked, as they exited the lift and continued on to Fudge's office.

It didn't take long for them to recount their conversation with Umbridge to the Minister.

"I'm not sure I understand why you didn't question her further", Fudge said.

"She said that it was with her other valuables", Draco pointed out. "So, it's either in her vault at Gringotts, now in Ministry hands, in another part of her property, also now in Ministry hands, or among her personal effects confiscated when she was first arrested, and probably still in storage in the Department of Law Enforcement."

"Would she have kept something so valuable so close to her?" Fudge asked.

"Actually, that's incredibly likely", Harry mused. "Her vault and her property are unlikely to be well taken care of during her imprisonment. However, her personal effects will be kept safer. They may just be shoved in a filing cabinet or some box somewhere, but then they'll be left alone for ten years."

"They are most likely boxed up and held in the storage section of the Department of Law Enforcement, along with other boxes for closed and cold cases", Fudge pointed out. "I can have her box brought up here?" he offered.

"It may be better not to – if it does hold a Horcrux we will need it somewhere protected", Harry replied. "If possible, can we have it brought to a large room which is well-shielded?"

"How about one of the training rooms which the Aurors use for duelling practice?" Fudge suggested.

"That sounds like the best idea", Harry agreed.

"I'll sort it immediately", Fudge said, standing and moving to the fireplace at the side of his office, putting a call through to Madam Bones.

"Won't she realise what's going on if we keep going through her?" Draco muttered to Harry.

"This is the last Horcrux. And she probably already knows something after Nagini died in a holding cell a few months ago. Besides, I'm not sure that we should be acting like it's such a big secret any more anyway", Harry pointed out. "Now that all the Horcruxes are gone except one, which is about to be destroyed as well, we can't honestly say that secrecy is such a necessity."

The Minister stood up from the Floo, brushing off his robes.

"The box containing her personal effects will be brought to training room seventeen", the Minister reported. "And, after that, we can reveal what has been going on and everyone can rest assured that Voldemort can never return. Hopefully that will also damage the resolve of any remaining Death Eaters."

"I think that's an excellent idea", Harry agreed, trying to cover his surprise that Fudge actually had some intelligent thoughts at times.

"Well then, shall we?" the Minister asked, indicating for them to follow him out of his office.

The three of them made their way through the Ministry to the Department of Law Enforcement, and on to the Auror training areas. By the time they reached room seventeen, the box was already there, an Auror waiting with it. The Auror left as they arrived, politely nodding to the Minister as he passed him.

"If it wouldn't be too rude –" Harry began.

"Don't worry, I have no problem with remaining outside", the Minister assured him. "Go ahead."

Harry nodded and gave him a small polite bow, before he entered the room, Draco just behind him. The box had been placed on the floor, roughly in the middle of the room. Harry and Draco walked over to it carefully, sitting down on the floor beside it. Harry gently removed the lid, looking at the various bagged-up items inside. The box contained everything which had been on Umbridge at the time of her arrest – her clothes, her wand...and her jewellery. Draco lifted up the bag of jewellery gently.

"Is this it?" Draco asked, indicating a locket with an S-shaped snake on it, as he gently held the bag.

"Yes", Harry breathed out.

"You going to melt it again?" Draco asked.

"Are you mocking me?"

"You just seem to like fire a lot", Draco pointed out.

"Uchihas use a lot of fire justu, and in Konoha that is my name after all", Harry countered.

"Even so..."

"And melting objects does tend to destroy them", Harry added.

"Okay, okay, I get it", Draco said defensively. "Want me to float it into the air for you?"

"Please", Harry requested.

Draco nodded, popping open the bag and levitating the various items inside up into the air. He allowed most of them to fall back to the floor, only floating the locket up any further, until it was around eight feet in the air. Fortunately the room was around fifteen feet high, likely due to its use for duelling. Draco moved backwards carefully, so that he was at one side of the room. Harry activated his Sharingan, focussing on the locket, watching as it burst into black flames. However, the flames put themselves out before the necklace was completely burnt.

"Harry?" Draco asked, concerned.

"Still not so good at that jutsu", Harry responded sheepishly. He quickly moved his hands to form the signs: Snake – Ram – Monkey – Boar – Horse – Tiger. He opened his mouth to release the fireball technique of his clan, aiming it at the Horcrux. When the jutsu ended a few moments later, Draco dropped his wand, heading over to check on Harry. However, both suddenly started at the sound of a clank.

"Harry –"

"I don't know why it's not working", Harry said.

"Maybe fire doesn't destroy everything?" Draco asked.

"What else can we do?" Harry asked.

"There must be some way to destroy it, even if the Horcrux is making it stronger."

"We need to work it out now, we can't carry this thing out of here", Harry pointed out. "So...what's different between the locket and the cup and the diadem?"

"I don't know, the locket opens?" Draco asked.

"That's it!" Harry exclaimed.

"What is?" Draco asked in confusion, not having really meant his earlier statement to be the answer they needed.

"It opens – we have to open it and then destroy the inside!"

"Okay, what can I do?" Draco asked.

"Go outside the room, tell the Minister what is happening. I'll open it and stab the inside with a kunai", Harry said. "Please don't argue – I'll have to be close, but you don't have to be", he added.

"I know", Draco sighed. "I just wish I could help you more with everything you do", he added, as he slipped out of the room. Harry looked after him, knowing that there was more behind the comment, but knowing that, at least for now, he had to focus on the task at hand. He crouched down to the floor, withdrawing a kunai and placing it on the floor beside the locket. He picked up the locket, feeling it carefully for the catch. He easily found it. Harry took a deep breath. He opened the locket, quickly dropping it and grabbing the kunai, striking both halves of the locket in quick succession, repeatedly striking both sides. He felt the dark magic burst out into the room, but ignored it, continuing until the last traces of the Horcrux had been destroyed.

Harry dropped the kunai, slumping slightly as the dark magic in the room dissipated. He took a deep breath, steadying himself as he headed over to the door, rejoining Draco and Fudge, who were waiting there for him.

"It's over", he said, in response to their questioning looks. Fudge breathed a noticeable sigh of relief, before clapping his hands together in a congratulatory manner. Draco breathed a much smaller sigh, which the Minister didn't notice, although Harry did, as he reached out to grasp Draco's hand. He made it seem that he merely wanted to hold his boyfriend's hand, while in actuality he needed to steady himself – he was swaying slightly, the after-effects of the dark magic that had been in the room catching up with him.

"If you don't mind, Minister, I need to rest", Harry put in.

"Of course, of course, please go right ahead", the Minister said. "If you don't mind, I would like to have the Prophet report that Voldemort is gone for good?"

"Please go ahead, Minister. I will be unavailable for the next few weeks, but if possible, could we dine together before I return to school? I'm sure we will have matters to discuss."

"That would be delightful, Lord Potter", Fudge replied, before leaving the two of them so that he could return to his own office, presumably to instantly call a reporter. Draco and Harry headed through the Department and back towards the foyer, signing out at the reception desk and taking the Floo to Grimmauld Place.

"Are you really okay?" Draco asked, as they emerged from the fireplace together.

"Just tired", Harry replied with a small smile. "I also felt like someone had their eyes on me as we were leaving the Aurors' Department."

"Maybe an Order member?" Draco suggested.

"Maybe", Harry agreed. "I think I need sleep", he added, slowly making his way for the stairs.

"Okay...how about I wake you in a few hours with food?" Draco asked.

"Sounds good", Harry responded, as he slowly headed upstairs to bed, leaving Draco downstairs to worry about him.

* * *

"He's heading for the place he died", Suigetsu stated.

"Looks that way", Sasuke responded, as the four of them paused near the top of a mountain.

"Would Kisame's body actually still be there?" Karin asked. "Wouldn't the Lightning-nin have retrieved it?"

"Not if it ended up in the water before they got there, I doubt they'd have gone diving for it", Sasuke pointed out.

"And the ground was being broken up to reveal the water underneath", Suigetsu added. "It wouldn't have been difficult for his body to end up in the water."

The four of them looked across at the opposite mountain, on the other side of which was located the temple near which Kisame had been killed. They hadn't managed to catch up with Kabuto in Amegakure, although they had confirmed that he had Nagato's body, and found more indications that he had Itachi's as well. They had also found out that he was going after Kisame's body next, and had tracked him all the way up to the Land of Lightning, which had taken almost a month. They were fairly certain they could catch Kabuto at this point, and another team had been sent from Konoha as well, although they hadn't caught up with Sasuke, Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo yet, as they had had to go via the Sky Village. Also, the four already there weren't in a situation where they could wait for the other team – doing so would risk them losing Kabuto yet again.

"We can't wait for them", Sasuke pointed out.

"They left a little over a month ago according to the Rokudaime's message", Karin said. "They should have beaten us here."

"But they went via the Sky Village, so they may have been held up there", Juugo stated.

"Let's just go", Sasuke ordered, before heading off down the mountain they were on, the other three following him.

It didn't take long for the four of them to cross over to the other mountain, coming round it around halfway up, along a small path which circled the mountain. They paused again when the temple and the area of Sasuke and Suigetsu's battle with Kisame came into view.

"I guess no-one really cared to fix anything", Suigetsu pointed out. The temple and the steps were mostly intact, but the bottom of the steps and the flat area where the battle had taken place were completely broken into pieces, some of which had fallen into the nearby water and created gaps between the ground. The path they were on led directly around the mountain to approach the temple from the side, curving up towards the temple.

Sasuke led the way around the thin mountain path, the other three following him in single file towards the temple. They made sure to keep silent for the rest of the way, as they slowly moved towards the only entrance to the temple. Sasuke approached first, carefully looking in to the small temple.

"Can't see anyone", he muttered.

"I can't sense anyone in there either", Karin added, just as quietly.

The four of them entered slowly, confirming that the place was empty, except for:

"Coffins", Suigetsu indicated.

"Four of them", Juugo added.

"Let's take a look", Karin said. The four of them moved over to the side of the temple where there were four coffins propped up against the wall. They took one each, opening them all simultaneously.

"I got Deidera", Suigetsu drawled.

"Sasori", Karin added.

"And Kakuzu", Juugo added.

"Sasuke?" Karin asked, when the dark-haired young man didn't respond. She looked over to where Sasuke was standing in front of the end coffin, reaching his hand up towards the coffin's occupant. Juugo, who had opened the coffin next to Sasuke, peered over.

"It's Itachi", Juugo muttered to Karin and Suigetsu.

"I guess we know for sure that he has Itachi now", Suigetsu muttered.

"Shut up", Karin hissed, hitting Suigetsu's arm. "Sasuke?" she asked. Getting no response, she tried again: "Sasuke? Come on, Nagato isn't here."

"What?" Sasuke asked, snapping out of his memories of his brother.

"Nagato isn't here. That probably means that we beat Kabuto here. We should set up an ambush for him", Karin suggested.

"Makes sense", Juugo agreed, closing up Kakuzu's coffin. "We need to make it look like we were never here", he added. Karin and Suigetsu nodded and did the same, before Suigetsu and Juugo moved back outside the temple.

"Sasuke?" Karin asked again.

"I know", he replied firmly, closing his brother's coffin and following Karin outside. The four of them took up positions on top of and on either side of the temple, knowing that Kabuto would not be much longer than them.

"He had a head start on us, by several days", Suigetsu said to Karin, who was beside him on the roof of the temple.

"He also has to bring Nagato's body, and he probably assumed that we stuck around in Amegakure for a while. I doubt he realises that it's us that's after him, so he probably assumed it would take us a while to find anything in Amegakure."

"You mean 'cos I knew about Orochimaru's base nearby?"

"Yeah, if you hadn't we'd have had to spend time searching for it, even if he wasn't there."

"There was nothing there though", Suigetsu pointed out.

"No, Kabuto had gone there on the way to get Nagato's body, but it meant that we could move on quicker", Karin stated.

"Quiet", the two of them heard hissed at them from their left, where Sasuke was concealing himself against the side of the temple, Juugo doing the same to their right. Suigetsu edged forwards slightly, seeing a cloaked figure approaching up the steps. They couldn't see much of him due to the ankle length cloak, which was also hooded to cover the person's face, but they could see that there was a long protrusion coming from the back of the cloak, almost like a tail. The four of them masked their presence, completely concealing themselves as the figure approached the temple and went inside. Suigetsu and Karin jumped down from the roof, one on either side, and the four of them moved around the building to the entrance.

"I'm surprised that it's the four of you that were sent", Kabuto said, having noticed their presence.

"Why?" Karin asked.

"We just had to track you as if you were Orochimaru, and the four of us are the best at that", Suigetsu added.

"So you're here to kill me?" Kabuto asked, turning around so that they could see his smirking face.

"You think we aren't capable?" Sasuke asked dangerously, Sharingan activating. Kabuto merely smirked, dropping a scroll which created a puff of smoke, a fifth coffin appearing in the room.

"And them?" Kabuto asked.

"Meaning what?" Karin asked. Kabuto just smirked again before he moved over to the side of the room where the coffins were, four pairs of eyes following him intently, the red and black pair glinting dangerously as Kabuto put his hands on two of the coffins.

"Meaning what?" Sasuke repeated Karin's question through gritted teeth.

Kabuto turned back to look at them, before he began forming hand seals: Tiger – Snake – Dog – Dragon –

"Ah", Kabuto groaned, interrupted as three kunai buried themselves in his shoulder. "You know, it isn't good to interrupt someone during a jutsu."

"You didn't finish", Karin pointed out.

"That was my point – anything could happen", Kabuto said, mock-innocently.

Suigetsu drew his sword, Juugo activated his partial transformation, and Sasuke's Sharingan whirled into the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"We can handle it", Karin said, a little smugly as she felt the massive power surges from her three nakama as they prepared to fight Kabuto.

Suigetsu launched himself towards Kabuto, aiming Kubikiribocho straight for Kabuto's head, but Kabuto lifted up his hand, surrounded by blue chakra, and caught it in his hand. Juugo increased his transformation, pinning Kabuto's arms so that Suigetsu could attack again, but, like a snake, Kabuto slipped out of the hold. He was then stopped again, this time by a circle of black fire, which erupted around him and began burning into the floor.

"You aren't getting away again", Sasuke stated.

"Are you sure you can kill me?" Kabuto asked. Sasuke didn't respond, his already black look only darkening as the Amaterasu moved inwards, Kabuto's body erupting into flames as well. Sasuke continued to glare, even as blood began dripping from his eyes, slowly at first, before it began bleeding profusely, forcing him to close his eyes.

"Sasuke", Karin said, moving towards him. "You have to stop, or you'll go blind", she added.

"He needs to die", Sasuke responded, eyes still clenched shut. However, he began to sway slightly, before slipping to the ground, as the effects of overusing the Mangekyo Sharingan took their toll. The Amaterasu faded, Kabuto badly burnt but still alive.

"Having performance issues Sasuke-kun?" he asked, sounding disturbingly like Orochimaru.

"You look like you can barely lift your arms, how is that a performance issue?" Karin asked in reply.

Suigetsu lifted his arm, using his Water Gun technique to fire a succession of water bullets at Kabuto, while Juugo extended his partial transformation again, slamming Kabuto down to the ground. Sasuke forced his eyes open, looking at the crumpled but still alive body of the man who had taken his brother's body...

Suddenly, Sasuke's Susanoo activated around him, the entire body fully formed. The sheer size of it caused the temple to collapse around them, as the Susanoo extended beyond the roof and even touched the wall near Sasuke. Although still on the floor, Sasuke still managed to maintain control, using the Susanoo to fire a massive arrow at Kabuto's already damaged body. The arrow hit, and a shockwave of chakra was created, which moved outwards, the Susanoo dissipating as it did so. Sasuke groaned, gripping his eyes. He could hear the other three moving around him, but couldn't keep himself conscious, everything going black as he slipped unconscious.

* * *

"And you're sure it wasn't just a bit too easy?"

"We checked, his body was completely destroyed. He also was carrying the remains of someone else sealed in a scroll. The only thing we can think of is that it was the two of them whose lives allowed the reincarnation to work."

"But the jutsu was interrupted?"

"Yeah, so there might be something different about the way they were reincarnated, like they weren't fully reincarnated or something."

"You awake?"

"Yeah", Sasuke groaned, forcing his eyes open and looking around at his surroundings. He was in a white room, a hospital room he surmised. The two people who had been speaking at first were clearly Sakura and Karin, while Suigetsu was the one who had noticed that he had woken up.

"How are you feeling?" Karin asked, as she and Sakura moved closer to the bed Sasuke was lying on.

"Fine", Sasuke responded roughly, moving to sit up.

"Not so fast", Sakura said, pushing Sasuke's shoulder back into the bed.

"How long was I out for?" Sasuke asked.

"Almost a week", she responded.

"What happened there?" he asked.

"The jutsu we interrupted was Edo Tensei", Suigetsu replied. "He was trying to resurrect the five of them to fight us."

"But we stopped him", Sasuke concluded.

"We only interrupted him before the final hand sign", Karin stated.

"That's what they were talking about when you were coming round", Suigetsu pointed out.

"He succeeded in resurrecting two of them", Sasuke surmised. "Which two?"

"Deidera and Kakuzu", Karin replied.

"They got away during the chaos when your Susanoo caused the temple – and part of the mountain – to collapse", Suigetsu added.

"The other bodies?" Sasuke asked.

"We retrieved them, and your eyes..." Sakura trailed off.

"Itachi's", Sasuke figured out, reaching up to touch the area near his eyes, which was still bandaged from the surgery.

"You'll be okay, but you need more rest", Sakura added.

"I have been away from Naruto, and my children, since late August. That was almost six months ago, and we are still a month away", Sasuke said menacingly.

"More like three weeks at the speed you'll move at", Suigetsu muttered.

"We need to be sure you're fully recovered", Sakura said to Sasuke.

"It seems like you're ready to leave", Sasuke retorted.

"I didn't just wake up having been unconscious for a week after collapsing after a major battle. And you need to have your eyes fully tested as well", Sakura replied.

"Hn."

Sakura shook her head slightly, used to her teammate's non-committal responses, before turning to Karin:

"Make sure his eyes are definitely fine, and keep checking when you're on the way back", she said to the redheaded young woman, who nodded in reply. Sakura then turned to Sasuke: "You'll be fine to leave in a couple of days. And remember you're in a different country, one that Naruto is trying to get an alliance with, so try to be less...like you always are." She ignored the glare aimed at her as she left the room.

"Yeah, so...see you when you're back", Suigetsu added, going to follow Sakura.

"Who isn't leaving?" Sasuke asked.

"Me", Karin replied. "Juugo, Suigetsu and Haruno are going back to Konoha, along with the other Konoha-nin who came with Haruno, and with the bodies of Itachi, Nagato and Sasori."

"All of them?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, Hyuuga Hinata and Inuzuka Kiba came with Sakura –"

"Because the three of them would have any chance fighting Kabuto if we had died?" Sasuke scoffed.

"Anyway," Karin said, ignoring Sasuke's blatant insult, "they're all going, along with all three bodies. Naruto will make sure the other bodies end up where they need to be, and Itachi will be sorted for burial for when you're back. We'll only be a few days behind them", Karin pointed out.

"Hn", was Sasuke's only response, closing his eyes to indicate that he was done talking. Karin left him alone in the room to rest, heading to say goodbye Suigetsu.

* * *

Having been gone from Konoha since late August, Karin wasn't surprised at the speed Sasuke moved at as the two of them approached the Leaf Village in early April.

"Should we report in?" she asked him tentatively.

"Yes. To Naruto", Sasuke stated firmly.

They entered the Leaf Village and headed immediately towards the Uchiha District, not running but still walking extremely quickly. Before long, the two of them entered the Uchiha District, Karin following Sasuke into his house – and walking straight into his back, as he stopped dead in the doorway.

"Hey", she complained, rubbing her nose, which had hit Sasuke's upper back. She edged around him, following his eyes, which were trained on Naruto – who was holding a small baby.

"Sasuke", Naruto breathed, passing the baby to Sakura. Karin noticed that Sakura and Sai were sitting at the table, along with Naruto. Naruto stood up and headed for Sasuke, curling his arms around the Uchiha's neck. "I missed you", the blond continued, talking quietly into Sasuke's ear.

"Whose baby is that?" Sasuke asked, anger barely concealed as he asked his question through gritted teeth. Naruto leaned back to look at him.

"Er...he's Sakura and Sai's", Naruto said unsurely.

"You didn't mention that in the Land of Lightning", Sasuke said, turning his angry glare on Sakura.

"I didn't think it was really relevant", Sakura said carefully, rocking the baby gently in her arms, as he gurgled slightly.

"Hn."

"What did you think, that I'd cheated on you?" Naruto asked, hurt.

"Perhaps we should go", Karin said, looking at Sakura and Sai as well.

"Yeah sure", Sakura agreed, standing up and motioning to Sai to follow her. Sai went to say something, but stopped at a look from Sakura, although Sai did wonder exactly what was going on.

"Why don't you report in to Tsunade for yourself and Sasuke?" Sakura suggested to Karin. "We should get back anyway, see you, Naruto, Sasuke", she added.

The three of them left, Sakura still carrying the baby boy, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone in the kitchen.

"Did you?" Naruto repeated. "Did you really think I'd have cheated on you?"

"You were holding a baby", Sasuke pointed out. "And I have been gone a while."

"And I'm going to stop loving you because you've been away from the village for almost eight months? If you become a jounin you'll be gone for lengths of time even longer than that, unless you become a sensei or something else that keeps you close."

"I didn't mean that you'd stop loving me, I meant –"

"That I'd be so horny I'd have sex with someone else?"

"I'm sorry."

"Well, that makes it better", Naruto retorted, clearly still hurt.

"I was just –"

"I know it probably wasn't what you were expecting, but you still didn't have to jump to that conclusion", Naruto said softly. Sasuke hugged Naruto again, holding him close and tightly.

"Sorry", Sasuke repeated, into Naruto's ear as he held him. After a moment, Naruto asked:

"Do you want to see the triplets?"

"Yes", Sasuke said, knowing that he wasn't completely forgiven but still wanting to see his children. "I'm sorry I wasn't back in time for their birthday", Sasuke apologised.

"It's fine, Sakura said you'd have to wait for a while before you could leave the Land of Lightning."

"Did you do much?"

"Not really, I had to work. Sai put up a bunch of banners and balloons, but he didn't really know what else to do – I think he got that idea from some book or something. I didn't get back with them until late, but some people had dropped around presents."

"Presents?"

"Mostly toys and things like that. Harry also sent some wizarding toys which they can use even without magic."

They got to the triplets' room and went in. Sasuke looked around, noting that there were now three cots, one for each of them, rather than a large one for all three.

"They got bigger", Naruto explained. "I had to get them separate cots as they got too big for the single cot they were in."

"Why didn't you keep the old one?"

"That's in our room", Naruto replied.

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Er...well, Sakura was gone for a while, as she had to come and sort you out, and Sai still had missions, so..."

"You have been taking care of their baby?" Sasuke guessed.

"Yeah, I don't mind, and the triplets like him too", Naruto responded.

"He must be here a lot for you to have the cot in our bedroom", Sasuke commented. "At least Sakura is back now, so you can concentrate on your own children."

"Yeah..."

"You like him?"

"Do you have to say it like it's such a bad thing?" Naruto asked defensively.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. Anyway, it's late – shall we go to bed?"

"It's not that late – or are you tired?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, tired", Sasuke commented, smirking.

"I really have missed you", Naruto said, wrapping his arms around Sasuke and kissing him deeply. Sasuke kissed back forcefully.

After what seemed like several minutes, the two broke apart, both breathing heavily. Naruto turned at the sound of giggling, which was coming from Kushina.

"She laughed", Sasuke noticed.

"Guess she thinks we look funny when we kiss", Naruto pointed out. Sasuke went over to kiss her on the head, doing the same to her two brothers before leading Naruto from the room, closing it softly behind them and pulling Naruto into their own bedroom. Naruto pushed their bedroom door closed behind them.

"Want to show me how much you missed me?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto replied by kissing Sasuke again, pushing the dark-haired man towards the bed and backwards onto it. He rapidly divested himself of his clothes, Sasuke leaning up on his arms to watch the show. Naruto was quickly naked and moving onto the bed to kiss Sasuke again. Sasuke flipped their positions almost immediately, kneeling up to strip himself as well.

Within seconds Sasuke was naked as well, and pressing Naruto down into the mattress. They were both already hard, and Sasuke ran one hand down Naruto's side, pulling Naruto's leg up so that his knee was pointed at the ceiling. He moved his hand around to squeeze Naruto's ass, causing the blond to moan into Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke pulled back from the kiss and sat up, leaning over to grab the lubricant from the bedside drawer. He squeezed a generous amount into his hand, throwing the tube back into the drawer and almost slamming it closed. He flipped Naruto onto his stomach with his other hand, immediately transferring the lubricant to Naruto's ass. The blond moaned into the mattress repeatedly as Sasuke worked one, two, then three lubricated fingers into him, stretching him open.

"Urgh, Sasuke", Naruto moaned, as the lubricated fingers struck his prostate.

"Enjoying yourself?" Sasuke asked.

"I can hear you smirking", Naruto replied, groaning again as Sasuke continued to roughly assault his prostate.

"Hn", Sasuke responded, still smirking and still continuing to finger Naruto roughly.

"I'm good", Naruto gasped. Although Sasuke briefly considered continuing to finger Naruto, teasing the blond, he was too impatient, having missed his boyfriend as well. He withdrew his fingers and flipped Naruto onto his back, the blond instantly wrapping his legs around Sasuke's waist. Sasuke reached around Naruto's leg, pressed tight into Sasuke's side, and guided himself into Naruto.

Both men moaned at the familiar feeling.

"Missed you so so much", Naruto gasped.

"You too", Sasuke replied. He again considered teasing the blond, but again was unable to, setting a rapid pace rather than a slow one. He thrust in and out quickly, slamming into Naruto's prostate with every thrust. The blond reached up, pulling Sasuke down into a kiss and gripping the back of Sasuke's shoulders.

"More", Naruto groaned. Sasuke complied, thrusting impossibly faster. "Yeah, like that", Naruto encouraged. "So close", he added.

"Me too. Go ahead", Sasuke said. Naruto moaned Sasuke's name loudly, arching up as he came hard across both of their stomachs. He clenched tightly around Sasuke's thrusting cock. Sasuke's movements stuttered slightly as he came as well, shooting his load deep inside Naruto's body with a grunt of the blond's name.

Sasuke thrust weakly in and out a few more times, before pulling out of Naruto, flopping onto the bed beside him.

"Tired?" Naruto asked, as Sasuke's eyes began to slip closed.

"Mmm", Sasuke hummed, as he began to drift asleep. Naruto sat up slowly, reaching for his discarded shirt and cleaning up his stomach and ass. He tossed it back into the floor and laid back down, manoeuvring the covers so that they were both under the covers in the bed. He cuddled close to Sasuke, who hugged him instinctively, and fell asleep in his boyfriend's arms.

* * *

**Next Chapter - Harry's final exams and issues involving Sakura and Sai's baby!**


	20. The Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long - more than two years - bit I hope to finish this story and upload the remaining chapters over the next couple of months. Thanks to everyone who's been patient this far!

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, suggested KakaIru, suggested SaiSaku, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

A couple of days after Sasuke returned to the village, Harry did so as well. It had been two days since he had destroyed the final Horcrux, but he needed to visit Konoha, as he hadn’t been there since the previous summer, not to mention the fact that he had an important matter to discuss with certain people in Konoha.

Harry arrived by portkey directly into the Uchiha District late on Tuesday evening. He immediately headed over to Naruto and Sasuke’s house, knocked, and went into the kitchen. Naruto was sat at a table nursing a cup of tea.

“Hey Naruto”, Harry greeted him.

“Oh...hi, Harry”, Naruto replied, not looking up from his cup.

“You okay?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, sorry, just tired.”

“How are the triplets?”

“They’re good”, Naruto replied. “Sorry, it’s not that – they are sleeping through the night – I’ve just got a lot on my mind at the moment”, he sighed.

“Can I help?”

“Not really, sorry.”

“No problem.”

 Harry moved over to the door, intending to leave, but Naruto stopped him:

“Do you want to see the triplets? Or Sasuke?”

“I can do that tomorrow – you look like you need to sleep.”

“No, it’s fine, I won’t sleep anyway.”

“Perhaps you would sleep better if you shared whatever was on your mind”, Sasuke suggested, as he entered the kitchen.

“I can’t”, Naruto said.

“Naruto –”

“If you are awake enough, then I do have something I need to talk to you about”, Harry interrupted, trying to prevent any arguments.

“Everything okay?” Naruto asked.

“Yeah, I just had an idea and I wanted to run it by you, although I’ll talk to Tsuande-sama about it as well. So, I was trying to figure out how I would be able to stay with Draco when he doesn’t want to leave and I can’t stay always there or always here...so, I was thinking, what if I were an ambassador between magical Britain and Konoha?”

“That would let you move between both countries”, Naruto mused.

“But what’s the point?” Sasuke asked.

“So he can be part of both worlds”, Naruto pointed out.

“I meant, what does Konoha get out of it in political terms?” Sasuke asked.

“Being a wizard and a shinobi is quite helpful in battles”, Harry stated. “If someone were to be both shinobi or kunoichi and wizard or witch then they could study here until graduating the Academy, and then go to Hogwarts. They would also be bilingual, which would help in battles in both countries. And I can’t be the only one with magic in my ancestry, right?”

“I doubt it, our father’s mother was a witch”, Sasuke pointed out.

“Do you know her surname?” Harry asked.

“No, why?”

“If it were an upper-class wizarding name then it might be that some clans already had connections –”

“What’s more likely is that the Uchiha clan realised the benefits of a part-wizard, part-shinobi”, Sasuke interrupted. “I doubt the connection was publicised in any way.”

“People here know that you are both wizard and shinobi, and that you’re a Uchiha”, Naruto said. “If it wasn’t publicised before, it may as well have been now – especially with people like Ino knowing.”

“Sakura told her?” Sasuke guessed.

“Play nice”, Naruto warned him. “Anyway, I think you being an ambassador is a good idea, connecting the two worlds might be helpful, for a lot of reasons. Talk to Tsunade-baa-chan in the morning.”

“Okay, I will”, Harry replied. “Anyway, I’ll let you guys get some sleep, I’ll see you tomorrow. Try to get some sleep, Naruto, night, Sasuke”, he added, heading out of the door and over to his own house.

“I still don’t see why you can’t tell me whatever’s bothering you”, Sasuke commented, as he headed upstairs.

“Because I know you”, Naruto replied, following him up to their bedroom.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sasuke asked.

“It’s just...the thing that’s going on...you’d have a certain reaction, and it wouldn’t be one that would be helpful.”

“There would be no way to deal with the way I would react?”

“Only if one of us quits being a shinobi”, Naruto sighed.

“I see.”

“For now, can you just trust me?” Naruto asked.

“I’m trying, but I’d still much rather you just told me what was going on and trusted that I’d do things the best way.”

“Guess I just know you too well for that”, Naruto retorted, ending the conversation by going into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

“Not well enough to trust me”, Sasuke muttered, getting ready to go to bed, and wondering how long it would be before Naruto told him what was really going on. 

* * *

The following afternoon, Harry was waiting at the village gates for Sasuke and Suigetsu to join him. Tsunade was with him as well, both waiting for the rest of Harry’s team.

“Long time no see, Harry”, Suigetsu greeted him.

“Yeah, I got back pretty late last night”, Harry said. “Hey, Sasuke”, he added.

“Hn.”

“I take it you know about this, Sasuke?” Tsunade asked.

“Yeah.”

“So, where are we going?” Suigetsu asked, realising he was the only one out of the loop.

“As you know, Harry is a wizard as well as a shinobi”, Tsunade explained. “There is the option for some useful political ties, and as Harry is part of both worlds, he would be the best choice for an ambassador. The three of you are going to the Daimyo so that Harry can discuss this with him.”

“Sounds easy enough”, Suigetsu shrugged.

“Sorry that we’re leaving, I know you’ve only been back a few days”, Harry apologised to Sasuke.

“Hn”, Sasuke grunted, before walking off through the trees. Suigetsu and Harry shared a look, before Suigetsu moved to follow him, Harry bowing to Tsunade politely before following his two teammates.

On the other side of the village, Naruto was sitting in his kitchen, nursing a cup of tea, in much the same position as he was in the previous night when Harry had arrived. He knew that the three of them were going to the Daimyo, but he also knew that it probably wouldn’t take very long.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock at the kitchen door.

“Hi, Naruto”, Sakura greeted him, as she entered the kitchen, carrying a small bundle.

“I guess you want me to watch him?” Naruto asked.

“Sai’s on a mission, and I have to go to the hospital. But, Naruto, how long do you really think you can –”

“Sakura, please, just do this for me for now, I need you to.”

“I know, and I also get why, Sai’s told me as much as he can, but really, how long can you do this?”

“Hopefully long enough”, Naruto sighed.

“Okay”, Sakura said unsurely, as Naruto stood up.

“Pass him here, I’ll watch him for the afternoon”, he said, stretching out his hands. Sakura passed the baby to him carefully, Naruto rocking him to keep him asleep.

“Just sort this out quickly”, she said to him as she left the kitchen.

“It’s not like I don’t want that to”, he muttered, as he carried the baby through into the other room, where the triplets were in a playpen. He set the boy down gently, sighing to himself. _Besides, it’s not like Sasuke won’t found out sooner or later, and he’s going to be annoyed enough that I lied to him...I just hope he realises it’s all for a good reason,_ Naruto thought to himself, as he looked down at the small baby, sleeping quietly besides the triplets.

* * *

Harry had gone on a few missions with Sasuke and Suigetsu, but all C and D rank missions. The Daimyo had approved of the idea of him being an ambassador between Konoha and magical Britain, and the plan was for him to return to Britain to sit his final exams at Hogwarts before heading back to Konoha in August to start as the ambassador.

At the moment it was the end of May, and Harry was around a third of the way through his exams. Draco had an Ancient History exam the following morning while Harry had nothing for the next five days. Harry was meeting the Minister for dinner, and due to Draco’s exam, he was doing so alone. The Minister greeted Harry and sat down, ordering almost immediately before turning to Harry:

“I apologise for my tardiness”, the Minister said.

“It’s fine, you weren’t that long”, Harry pointed out.

“So, you said you had something important to discuss?”

“Yes. Minister, do you remember those shinobi who Dumbledore hired to guard the school?”

“Yes, of course...although I’d rather not recall the time I believed you on Dumbledore’s side...or a liar.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Minister. But it is important”, Harry stated, looking around carefully before continuing, leaning in to speak quietly: “I am a shinobi.”

“Er...I see.”

“I wasn’t aware of it either until that time, but I am now. In fact, where I am when I leave the country is in Konoha, the country which they came from, where it turns out I was born. The reason I’m telling you this is because it has been suggested by the people in Konoha that I become an ambassador between magical Britain and Konoha, and I wanted to know your thoughts on the matter?”

“It sounds like a splendid idea, more communication would definitely be beneficial for us, but what do we offer them?”

“Being a wizard as well as a shinobi helps me in battle situations, as enemies aren’t used to magic, especially wandless magic. I do have magic in my bloodline, but it only came to the front as I was raised in Britain rather than as a shinobi. There are others with it in their bloodline as well.”

“Will it be possible for them to do something like attend Hogwarts?”

“Basic training as a shinobi tends to end around the age of 11-12, not necessarily in time for the first year, but probably in time for the second. The school year in Konoha, as in Japan, ends in December, so what would be the end of the first term of school. I would suggest allowing them to start in the January of the first year, but with the knowledge that they have to catch up. In Konoha, school doesn’t end at a certain age but rather once a certain level of training has been reached, so it is possible that some may finish before they would have started Hogwarts but also that some may not finish until December of what would be their second year.”

“Well, we can easily make allowances for that, although the other students would know them to be shinobi”, the Minister pointed out.

“That’s fine, they would have to be allowed to train as shinobi while they’re here. It wouldn’t be too difficult to sort out a training ground for them out near the Forest, but the other students would have to be made aware of the danger of entering the training ground, as, at any time, there may be weapons or the equivalent of spells flying around.”

“So, we would have to train them as wizards and witches, which would help them when they are in Konoha, and in return we could gain help from shinobi for certain things?”

“Shinobi are like mercenaries. If you want them to do anything for you, from the equivalent of chores right up to helping Aurors on missions, they can be employed for such things, and as you are helping by training them as wizards and witches as well, they may reduce the cost for missions. My job would be to make sure that the shinobi at Hogwarts have everything they need, that you have any help you want from the shinobi in terms of missions, and in general that both sides have what they need from this alliance.”

“I think that is a good idea”, the Minister stated with a smile. Their food arrived and they ate, continuing to discuss some of the other events which had been going on in Britain while Harry had been gone.

As Harry made his way back to Hogwarts that evening, he thought to himself about how easy it was to make the Minister agree. _I suppose it is helpful to him after all,_ he mused to himself, _and I made it seem like I’d come to him with the idea before confirming it with anyone in Konoha. Making it sound like I’m asking his permission seems a surefire way to get Fudge to agree with anything I request._

As Harry Floo’d into the Slytherin common room and headed for his dorm, he considered when best to tell Draco. He knew that his boyfriend had been having issues over how he and Harry could stay together after graduation, and this seemed like the best idea. He didn’t want to give Draco a chance to be annoyed at him for not discussing it sooner – or really discussing it at all, since it had basically been decided without Draco’s input – but Harry also thought about the exams. Knowing Harry wasn’t going anywhere may make Draco less stressed...but then again, it may also give him a distraction not helpful for revision.

Harry pushed open the door to his dorm, still wondering what to do. He immediately noticed Draco flopped on the bed, face buried in the pillows. Neither Theo nor Blaise were in the room.

“Hey”, Harry said.

“Hey”, Draco muttered, voice muffled by the pillows.

“Exam not go okay?”

“Hmm.”

“Why don’t you tell me about it?” Harry asked, sitting down and placing his hand on Draco’s back soothingly.

“No.”

“Come on, just talk to me”, Harry coaxed, rubbing Draco’s back. The blond stayed still for a moment, before rolling over onto his back.

“The question worth the most marks – I didn’t understand what it was asking for.”

“How come?”

“I don’t know, I just didn’t really get it. The question seemed to be asking about someone’s role in a certain historical event.”

“So?”

“So the person they were asking about wasn’t really there, he just said he was for political reasons. So I went on about those for a while, but it sort of just...faded after a while.”

“Faded?”

“You know what I mean”, Draco said, putting one arm across his face.

“Don’t hide, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Besides, nothing you can do about it now.”

“I can keep thinking about it.”

“How about a distraction?” Harry asked. Draco moved his arm from his face, just as Harry stood from the bed. He fired a couple of spells at the door, silencing it and locking it, while making sure that anyone who tried to open it would detect all the spells on the door and would realise what was going on inside.

“What sort of distraction?” Draco asked, already aware of the answer but knowing that if he played along then Harry would make it even better.

“How about you guess?” Harry asked slyly, playing along as well, as he slowly began removing the dress robes he had worn to dinner with the Minister. He opened each button slowly, revealing more and more of his chest, before he finally slipped down the robes until they pooled on the floor around his feet. He stepped over them and towards Draco, kicking off his shoes and climbing onto the bed. Harry knelt on Draco’s thighs, making sure his crotch was close to Draco’s, before leaning forward and kissing Draco soundly. Draco groaned and arched upwards, pressing his hardening erection against Harry’s, which was in a similar state.

“Harry”, Draco whined, as the dark-haired young man pulled back.

“Distracted yet?” Harry asked coyly.

“Nope, not distracted, not at all, come back here”, Draco said quickly, trying to pull Harry back into another kiss.

“Come on, Draco, good things –”

“Come to those who wait, yeah, I know, so I’m waiting”, Draco finished for him. He paused for all of about three seconds, before continuing: “There, I’ve waited, now hurry up and distract me already.”

“So impatient”, Harry said, shaking his head and standing up from the bed. He lifted up each leg in turn and pulled off his socks, leaving him only in his boxers.

“Harry, you’re killing me here”, Draco whined again. He began to sit up, but Harry pressed his palm flat against Draco’s chest and pushed the blond back against the mattress.

“Stay”, Harry ordered, enjoying how his boyfriend’s eyes dilated at the order. Draco bit his lip, watching as Harry moved around the room, closing the curtains and dimming the lights, despite the fact that, not only could thse things have been done magically, they were also unnecessary. Draco knew Harry was only doing it to make him wait, teasing Draco to make him forget all about his exam, as well as anything else that may be bothering the blond.

“Tease”, Draco muttered, making Harry smirk, before the dark-haired young man headed over to sit on the bed again. Draco went to sit up again, but Harry pushed him back to the mattress again.

“Do I have to tie you down?” Harry asked.

“Maybe you do”, Draco replied, eyes darkening further as he looked up at Harry. Harry smirked down at him, muttering a spell in Parseltongue. Draco was pressed back against the bed, feeling a pull on his arms and legs, as invisible ropes bound his wrists and ankles to the four bedposts, as well as strapping him down across his chest, stomach, and knees.

“Like this?” Harry asked.

“I’m still dressed”, Draco pointed out. Another muttered Parselmagic spell soon changed that, Draco’s clothes disappearing from his body and reappearing in a pile on the floor beside the bed.

“You were saying?” Harry asked slyly.

“Aren’t I a bit...too tied up?” Draco asked, wriggling slightly to emphasise that he couldn’t really move.

“Stop asking questions, and focus on the distraction”, Harry stated, grabbing one of their school ties and tying the green and silver fabric around Draco’s eyes as a blindfold.

“Harry –”

“Shh”, Harry quieted him. “Just trust me”, he said quietly, leaning in so that his breath brushed Draco’s ear. The blond shivered at the sensation.

“Okay”, he agreed.

“Good”, Harry said, still into Draco’s ear, before the blond felt his boyfriend pull back. The blindfold prevented Draco from following where Harry was moving to, and Harry had stopped talking, so Draco had to wait for Harry to move back to his body. 

A moment later, Draco felt a wet warmth surround the head of his cock. He groaned, trying to arch upwards, but being unable to move due to the invisible ropes restraining him. Harry bobbed his head, gradually taking in more and more of his boyfriend’s erect cock. Draco’s moans increased as Harry sucked him eagerly, continuing to take more of Draco in until his nose was buried in the wiry blond hairs at the base of Draco’s rock-hard cock.

“Harry, I’m going to – hey!” Draco complained, as Harry pulled back, just seconds before Draco was going to orgasm.

“Not yet”, Harry ordered.

“I can’t hold it –”

“Then I’ll make it so that it’s not up to you”, Harry stated. Draco flinched slightly as a tight pressure circled around the base of his cock.

“What –”

“Cock-ring. Not letting you come yet.” 

Draco tried to arch upwards as Harry moved back, and again as he felt Harry sit across his thighs. He felt Harry’s hand moving across his upper thigh, and groaned as he realised that his boyfriend was fingering himself open.

“Harry, please let me come”, Draco begged.

“Wouldn’t be much of a distraction if I let it end that quick, now would it?” Harry asked, as he grasped Draco’s rock-hard and reddened erection, holding it firmly as he sank down onto it. Both young men groaned as Draco was encased in Harry’s tight heat. Harry rocked back and forward slowly, gradually increasing his speed.

Harry moaned as he felt Draco’s cock repeatedly hit his prostate. Draco continued trying to arch upwards, but the invisible ropes prevented him from moving. And, as he felt Harry tense up, knowing that the dark-haired young man was getting close, he really wanted those ropes gone, or at least the blindfold, so he could watch his boyfriend, rather than only being able to hear him.

“Draco, feels so good”, Harry gasped, before letting out a long moan. Draco felt Harry’s hole clench like a vice, and also felt his boyfriend’s come splatter across his stomach, as the dark-haired young man rode out his orgasm with long gasps and moans.

After a few moments, Harry flopped forwards, Draco’s stiff erection still inside him and still restrained by the cock-ring, which was ensuring the blond couldn’t orgasm until Harry allowed it. Draco’s cock slid from Harry’s hole, the dark-haired young man breathing heavily as he rolled off of Draco and moved away from him.

“Harry, please, you’re done –”

“Says who?” Harry asked. Draco was going to ask what Harry meant by this, but was stopped when he felt a buzzing against his chest. Harry slid the vibrator across both of Draco’s nipples, circling each before travelling down Draco’s chest, across the blond’s cock and back to teasingly vibrate at the rim of Draco’s hole. Draco moaned, writhing against the bonds restraining him as he tried to get Harry to press the vibrator inside. Harry leaned down to lick at Draco’s hole, the vibration against his tongue as he slid the wet muscle between Draco’s ass cheeks. Draco felt two fingers breach him alongside Harry’s tongue, quickly stretching him, before they were removed and Harry’s tongue withdrew as well, the vibrator finally sliding inside Draco’s body.

Harry moved the vibrator around inside his boyfriend. At first it seemed as though he were searching for Draco’s prostate, but Harry continued to change the position of the vibrator even after Draco moaned.

“Harry, you already had the right spot, stop moving it”, Draco begged.

“Just enjoy yourself”, Harry said, continuing to wiggle the vibrator around. He slid his free hand up and down the blond’s inner thighs, teasingly arousing the younger man even further than he already had. Draco’s red erection began turning a purplish colour, as Harry began fucking Draco with the vibrator.

Harry hissed, and Draco barely had time to realise that it was Parselmagic before he found himself face down on the bed, still restrained with invisible ropes and erection still constrained by the cock-ring, as the vibrator was switched off and tossed to the side, Harry’s renewed erection entering Draco instead. Harry set an almost brutal pace, making the mattress creak and bounce, Draco moving with it as Harry pounded in and out of him. Harry moaned deeply as he repeatedly buried his erection in Draco’s tight hole, a second orgasm rapidly approaching. He withdrew moments before it hit, flipping Draco back onto his back and moving up to press the leaking tip of his cock at Draco’s mouth. Draco opened his mouth, sucking on the tip of Harry’s cock.

“Draco, take more, swallow it”, Harry ordered. Draco opened his mouth a little further, allowing Harry to slide around half of his cock into the blond’s mouth.

“Hmm”, Draco hummed, the vibrations heightening Harry’s pleasure, as a second orgasm washed over the dark-haired young man. He rode it out, Draco swallowing all of Harry’s come, before releasing the softening cock with a pop. Harry slid down Draco’s body, teasingly licking at the tip of Draco’s cock. He was planning on teasing the blond a little further, but apparently he’d pushed Draco too far, as the blond threw his head back and near-screamed Harry’s name, body straining against the invisible bonds as he orgasmed. However, the cock-ring prevented him from coming, so even as he came down from the high of the intense orgasm, his erection was still there, still constrained by the cock-ring, and a darker purple than before.

“Draco?” Harry asked.

“Shut up, you’re amazing”, Draco grunted, hoping he wasn’t smiling soppily.

“Yes, I am. And I’m not done yet”, Harry pointed out teasingly.

“No more”, Draco begged.

“What, you don’t want to come?” Harry asked.

“Take it off, I’ll come the second you do”, Draco said.

“I will.”

“Yes, please, now.”

“No, not yet. But I will.” 

Harry moved from the bed again, the blindfold still preventing him from seeing what Harry was doing. He felt his legs slide apart and his body raise slightly, a pillow slipping beneath his lower back. He then felt Harry return to the bed, and a thick object press against his hole.

“Not you?”

“Want to play a little longer”, Harry pointed out, as he slid the dildo a little way into Draco’s body. He moved it until it was striking Draco’s prostate, before beginning to fuck him with it. 

After a few moments he paused, pressing the dildo all the way in and against Draco’s prostate. Harry let go, moving up to press his body flat over Draco’s, kissing the blond. He could still taste his come in Draco’s mouth, the blond kissing him back in desperation.

“Harry”, Draco begged, hoping that Harry would finally relent, but not sure he would, as he felt Harry’s cock hardening again where it was pressed against Draco’s own still-present erection.

“What about me?” Harry asked coyly.

“You already came twice”, Draco whined.

“Yeah, but you don’t want to leave me like this, now do you?” Harry demonstrated by pressing himself against Draco, making the blond groan. He moved up to perch across Draco’s thighs, facing away from Draco as he gripped Draco’s erection and pressed it inside himself. He groaned at the feeling, before muttering a quick spell, the dildo beginning to move in and out of Draco’s body on its own, along with Harry rocking on Draco’s cock. As Harry sped up, so did the dildo, the dildo mimicking the dark-haired young man’s speed.

“More”, Draco asked, voice breaking at the intense feeling of Harry’s ass and the dildo moving in time with one another. Harry paused in his movements to twist himself around, Draco’s cock still buried in his ass as he twisted so that he was facing Draco. Harry then continued, his movements speeding up.

Within a few minutes, Harry was ready to come for a third time. He hissed out a spell, the dildo fucking Draco brutally regardless of Harry’s pace, which still almost matched the dildo as Harry arched his back, throwing his head back and moaning deeply. He came for a third time with a gasp, the second load he shot across his boyfriend’s stomach, some of this load dripping onto the bed to join what was already there from when Draco had been on his stomach earlier. Harry pressed his body tightly against Draco’s, before reaching back to withdraw the dildo. He could feel Draco’s body tense as he slid his fingers over where the cock-ring was still fastened.

“Har –” Draco couldn’t get out Harry’s name, as the dark-haired young man finally released his erection from the cock-ring, and he came hard inside Harry’s ass. 

It seemed like Draco came for several hours, even though it was really only moments before he had finished emptying himself into Harry’s body. As he strained against the ropes as his orgasm hit, the tie that was his blindfold slipped from his eyes, Draco being able to see for a few moments before the force of his orgasm caused him to pass out. As Harry moved forwards so that Draco’s cock slipped from his hole, he realised that he had made Draco come so hard that the blond had fallen unconscious, smirking at his prowess. He hissed several spells, vanishing all the come from the bed but leaving remnants in both their bodies, as well as cleaning and putting away the toys, manoeuvring them under the covers. He also unlocked and unsilenced the door, closed the curtains around the bed the two of them were in, and transferred all of their clothes to the laundry bin, before curling up against Draco and falling asleep beside him, both of them satisfied, and Draco fully distracted from whatever problems he’d had with his exam.

* * *

Sasuke was walking through the village, from the Hokage tower back to the Uchiha District and his and Naruto’s house. He had just returned from a mission to take a mission to Gaara, and was not in a particularly good mood. _Stupid raccoon,_ Sasuke thought to himself, knowing better than to talk about it out loud. _Still trying to go after my Naruto. Even if he is coming here, then he should still tell me to bring a message to the Rokudaime, not ‘tell Naruto I’ll see him soon’, as if he can call my dobe by his name – whatever happened to politics?!_ 

Sasuke was still glaring at nothing when he entered his house.

“Naruto?” he called out, figuring the blond would be in the house, as he hadn’t been in the Hokage tower.

“Sasuke!” Naruto near-shouted, out of breath as he ran into the room.

“What’s happened?” Sasuke asked.

“It’s the baby!”

“Whose baby?”

“Er – Sakura and Sai’s”, Naruto replied. “He’s been kidnapped!”

“And?”

“And we have to save him!”

“From who?” Sasuke asked, sighing as he sat down at the kitchen table.

“Don’t sit down!”

“Was he kidnapped from here?” Sasuke sighed.

“Er...no...but what difference does it make?”

“Naruto, I know they’re your friends, but it’s their kid. If they’re not ready for a baby then they shouldn’t have had one, and you shouldn’t have to take care of it all the time. It’s not our problem, and I’m tired and sandy and want to see my own kids, not run off and save theirs because Sakura is useless and Sai is clueless.”

“Sasuke, stop being such a bastard!” Naruto yelled at him. “If one of our children was taken –”

“Then I’d care”, Sasuke finished for him.

“Well, I care about him!”

“Why? Why do you care so much?” Sasuke asked.

“Because he’s my – er, my responsibility, you know, as Hokage and everything”, Naruto stuttered out. “And I need your help”, he added.

“Fine, we’ll look for him tomorrow”, Sasuke relented. Now let me go say goodnight to the triplets and take a shower, and then we should both get some sleep.”

“We can’t sleep! We need to go save him now!”

“Why? Who has him that’s so terrible? And are we really likely to find any information at night anyway?”

“I don’t know who has him, and we might not find anything at night, but we should still look for him now!”

“Do what you want”, Sasuke said in frustration. “I already told you what I’m going to do, and it’s not like we can both just go off and leave the triplets here, can we?”

“We can get someone to watch them –”

“Who?” Sasuke asked.

“How about Sakura?” Naruto suggested.

“She can’t even take care of her own kid! I’m not letting her watch mine!” Sasuke almost shouted.

“Fine! Well, I’m going –”

“Naruto”, Sasuke said, forcing himself to calm down. “Look – just listen, okay? We can’t both leave, and I’m too tired to actually do anything useful right now, so just wait until morning?”

“I can’t”, Naruto snapped at him.

“Why not? It’s not like there’s some time limit on this – like I said, we won’t be able to talk to anyone until the morning.”

“Yeah, but...but we have to go now, because...er....because – Gaara!”

“What, he did it?” Sasuke deadpanned. “There’s no way the raccoon beat me back here.”

“I know that, but, er...well...we don’t want to still be dealing with this while he’s here, so we have to get it all sorted out within the next couple of weeks, right? So we need to start now!”

“I don’t care about sorting anything out just to make life easier for him! Now, I’m going to say goodnight to my children, shower, and go to bed. You do whatever you want”, Sasuke said dismissively, heading upstairs to do as he had said. Naruto glared after him, before storming from the house, leaving Sasuke and their children alone while he went off to look for the missing baby boy.

* * *

The following morning, Sasuke woke up to an empty bed. He pulled himself out of bed, heading to check on the triplets. Finding them still asleep in their cots, he went downstairs. It didn’t take him long to realise that Naruto hadn’t slept in the house. He went into the kitchen to get some food, but had barely managed to open the fridge when he heard the door open behind him.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“Please come in”, Sasuke said sarcastically, turning to face his former teammate.

“Answer the question”, she ordered.

“What do you want, Sakura?” Sasuke asked, turning back to the fridge to get out some food for himself, as well as some pots of baby food for the triplets. “It shouldn’t be mine and Naruto’s problem that you decided to pop out a brat you aren’t ready for.”

“Were you ready for the triplets?”

“Maybe not, but we worked it out. The only time we’ve needed help since they were born was back during the chunin exams, and even then only for one day.”

“Hinata watched them once for a few days –”

“She offered, we never asked her to.” 

Sasuke put the dish from his food to one side, picking up some spoons and the baby food before heading upstairs. He knew Sakura was still downstairs as he picked up each triplet in turn. They had woken up while he was downstairs and he fed them all in turn, before setting them back in their cots. As he set down Jiraiya, who he had fed last, he heard Sakura coming up the stairs. He threw the empty food pots in the bin, just as a voice came from behind him:

“Sasuke, we think we know who took him”, she said gently.

“Then do your job.”

“My job?”

“You’re his mother, go protect him. Or get Sai to go. It isn’t mine or Naruto’s problem.” 

Sasuke moved up, indicating her to go downstairs in front of him. She sighed but did so, Sasuke following her back downstairs.

“Like I said, do your job, now go”, Sasuke stated.

“You don’t understand”, Sakura ground out through gritted teeth.

“I don’t care to.”

“Like I said, we know who has him –”

“Still not my problem.”

“It’s Danzo.”

“Still not my problem.”

“Sasuke...Danzo wants to raise him as some sort of anti-Uchiha weapon.”

“What?” Sasuke asked, his whole body tensing up.

“Tsunade-sama and Naruto – they’re both Hokages, but neither believes that the Uchihas are taking over, as Danzo keeps putting it.”

“So he’s creating an anti-Uchiha weapon?” Sasuke asked.

“Seems that way”, Sakura said.

“Because he’s Sai’s kid? Sai isn’t loyal to Danzo –”

“He’s not Sai’s –” Sakura cut herself off.

“Whose – actually, I don’t care”, Sasuke stated. “I still need to take care of my children while Naruto’s off after your son.”

“He’s just a baby –”

“Not my problem”, Sasuke said again.

“Don’t you get it? It is your problem”, Sakura said.

“I don’t see why.”

“Well, Naruto is after the baby –”

“Haven’t even named your own son yet?”

“He – he has a name –”

“Then why do you keep calling him ‘the baby’, or just ‘he’?”

“I –”

“Actually, I don’t care about that either”, Sasuke said, interrupting the pink-haired young woman before she could say anything.

“Fine, I’m going”, Sakura said, giving up and storming from the house.

“Whatever”, Sasuke said, the woman having already left. He headed back upstairs to the triplets. The boys were asleep, but Kushina was still awake, so Sasuke picked her up, before moving over to the chair in the corner. He sat down, Kushina on his lap. 

Sasuke held Kushina in one arm, thinking over his conversation with Sakura, as well as what Naruto had said the previous night.

“I wonder if I should have let her finish”, he mused out loud, Kushina merely looking blankly up at him in response. “They’re all clearly hiding something from me, perhaps the father of the kid? But it’s not like it’s mine, so why should I care? This situation has nothing to do with me or Naruto.” Kushina giggled, making Sasuke smile slightly. “There’s no way it’s my problem, unless...”

* * *

**Next Chapter – School finishes for good, and a revelation about the kidnapped baby!**


	21. School Finishes

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be a shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, suggested KakaIru, suggested SaiSaku, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

Sasuke mused to himself, rocking Kushina slightly as he thought about the only possible thing that Sakura and Naruto could be lying to him about. He was soon interrupted when he heard the door downstairs open again. He set Kushina down gently and headed downstairs, hoping that this was Naruto finally returning.

"What now?" he asked Sakura, as he entered the kitchen.

"Sasuke –"

"And she is here with you to what, agree with you? Gang up on me?" Sasuke asked, gesturing to Hinata, who was with Sakura.

"Good morning, Sasuke-san", Hinata bowed. "I looked after the triplets for you once before, Sakura said you might want me to do so again?"

"Did she?" Sasuke asked, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Sasuke, Naruto is going after Danzo, with only Sai as back up. Even if you don't care about the baby –"

"Your baby", Sasuke elaborated.

"Whatever! So, just...why not go and help Naruto?"

"Even though Naruto-kun is really strong, he always fights better with you", Hinata pointed out in her usual quiet manner. Sasuke looked between the two women with a glare.

"Get out", he said to Sakura.

"Sasuke –"

"Out", he demanded. Sakura tried to stare him down, but soon gave up, throwing her arms up in the air dramatically before leaving the house. Hinata turned to follow her, but Sasuke stopped her: "Hinata."

"Yes?" she asked, turning back to look at him.

"Will you please watch the triplets while I go rescue that dobe?" he asked.

"Of course."

"They've eaten and are sleeping", Sasuke said to her, before heading upstairs to quickly change his clothes.

Sasuke passed by the triplets's bedroom, peering in as Hinata checked them. She gave him a small smile, nodding that it was okay for him to go. He nodded back at her, before he headed off to find out where Sai and Naruto had gone, and to follow them, knowing that they would definitely end up in some sort of trouble given his dobe was involved.

* * *

The exams were over, and, for the seventh years, life in Hogwarts was almost over. The night before they would leave on the Hogwarts Express for the last time, a party was held, for all of the seventh years, in the Great Hall. It seemed like the teachers had intended for it to be a fairly formal event, as this would be the first time in a while that there was a party for the final years – Dumbledore had stopped them due to the war, but Snape had reinstated them as of this year. However, despite whatever may have been intended, most of the students had just worn something comfortable, especially as, as the party was restricted to final years, alcohol had been permitted.

Harry, Draco, Theo, Blaise and Pansy were sitting at one of the tables that were arranged around the edge of the room, all with drinks, and talking about what they were going to do after school.

"Harry, what are you doing after school, anyway?" Pansy asked, doubting she'd get an answer as she didn't think even Draco had one from Harry yet.

"Yeah, why don't you tell everyone", another female voice came from behind Harry.

"Probably not managed to get any sort of work, not after being in Slytherin", Ron commented. Neville came over as well, sitting down at the table. Ron and Hermione sat down as well, even though the others' expressions made it clear that, while Neville was fine, the other two weren't particularly wanted there.

"You think that you're getting better jobs because you're Gryffindors?" Blaise asked in disbelief. "Those sorts of things don't matter any more."

"Of course they do", Ron almost spat at him.

"Besides, it's true, isn't it?" Hermione asked.

"Blaise and I are going to be Aurors", Theo pointed out. "We just got confirmation this morning of our entry day, on August 4th."

"I'm going to train as a Healer, I start on a training programme the same day, and its also been confirmed since our results were released this morning", Draco said.

"I'm interning at the  _Prophet_ ", Pansy added. "Paid internship, six days a week, full-time. And, from what I understand, the two of you aren't going anywhere you really wanted, you're just taking what you can get."

"Gryffindors –" Hermione began.

"This isn't about Slytherin and Gryffindor", Neville broke in. "At least not for them. I'm interning under Madam Sprout, which you guys know, and so do they, so they'd hardly suggest that all Gryffindors are getting lousy jobs. This is nothing to do with what House we've been in for the last seven years, especially given that, as of tomorrow, it's no longer relevant to any of us. It's just about you two."

"What about us?" Ron asked.

"Your attitude", Neville replied. "That, and, in your case Ron, test scores, is why you've had to settle for what you can get."

"I'm doing a foundation course for the Auror Academy", Ron defended himself, voice raising slightly in annoyance.

"That's our point", Blaise said. "Theo and I have the scores and attitude to get into the Auror Academy straight from school. You have to do a foundation course before you can even enter the Academy, which means you'll end up at least a year behind us."

"Hermione got accepted to a university place", Ron said, realising that he couldn't defend himself any longer.

"I'm starting a Defence Masters in September, at a magical university just outside London", Hermione said proudly.

"From what I understand, you couldn't get an internship under Lupin, and have had to settle for a university place because you couldn't train under an experienced Defence Master. Only the new Defence Master at the university will take you, and only because he's happy to have a student at all so soon after achieving his own Mastership", Harry broke in, finally joining the discussion. "But, if you still want us to think you're adults, how are you going to afford to live if you're both in school?"

"What do you mean, afford to live?" Ron asked. "My parents aren't going to charge rent."

"Mine either, and my uni is only a twenty minute walk from where I live", Hermione added. "Besides, that's hardly a fair question, not when you all have inheritances."

"Actually, only Harry does, Narcissa owns the Malfoy money, and ours is still frozen by the Ministry", Pansy said.

"So?" Hermione asked flippantly.

"So, we are only at the Academy during the week, we both have weekend jobs lined up to start in a couple of weeks", Theo stated, indicating that he was referring to himself and Blaise.

"Yeah, Theo is working in Flourish and Blotts, and I'm working in the apothecary in Diagon Alley", Blaise added.

"And like I said, my internship is paid", Pansy pointed out. "The three of us are moving home for all of three days, before we move into a shared house on Tuesday, which we're renting. Yes, our parents loaned us the first payments, but we'll repay them within a few months."

"Draco and I are moving into Grimmauld", Harry revealed. "It's close to the hospital for Draco and also where I need to be. And, before you go off on one, Draco would have moved in with the three of them if I hadn't already said he was going to live with me."

"So, to sum up, we have jobs, training for careers, and our own places to live, while you guys have had to settle for whatever training you can get, haven't even tried to get jobs, and are going to be living with your parents", Pansy summarised.

"Neville, are you living at the school?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, I don't get paid for the internship but I get my own room and food and everything, so it's not like I need the money", Neville responded.

"You still haven't told us what you're going to do, Harry", Hermione said, with fake sweetness, still trying to get Harry to talk even after it had been pointed out that her life wasn't going where she had originally planned.

"No, I haven't", Harry said simply, standing up and holding out a hand to Draco. The blond took his hand, allowing Harry to lead him out onto the dance floor.

"Song's ending", Draco pointed out.

"Based on the earlier songs, we're about to get –" Harry stopped himself, waiting for what he had expected, and getting it, as a slow song started.

"Okay, smartass", Draco mock-glared, before moving in to hold Harry close. The two of them moved together, hands on each other's waists, rather than doing any sort of dancing.

They moved for a couple of moments, before Harry leaned in:

"I'm going to be an ambassador between Konoha and magical Britain", Harry whispered into Draco's ear. As he pulled back, Draco looked at him in surprise.

"Since when?"

"Technically, the Minister only agreed to it around a month ago, when I went to dinner with him. You know, that time I got back and your exam had been shit so I...distracted you?"

"Yeah, I remember", Draco hissed, trying to force down his blush.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier", Harry apologised.

"It's fine. So, how will it work?"

"I will be gone, maybe even for several weeks at a time, possibly anything up to a few months. But I'll be here for that sort of time as well", Harry replied. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is. You know I've been worried about how we can stay together and have you in both worlds, and this sorts it. What sort of thing will you be doing though?"

"I will tell you, but maybe not right now?" Harry asked. "Let's enjoy tonight, and talk about all this stuff when we're at home, okay?"

"Sure", Draco agreed, realising that Harry didn't want anyone like Ron and Hermione to hear, not that the dark-haired young man was trying to keep things from him. The two of them continued dancing. Over at the table, Ron and Hermione had realised that they were never going to get any sort of answers about Harry's work, and had left the party. No-one in the room had really missed them, and the party continued, all the seventh years talking, with no issues about Houses or anything else, as they would no longer be in their Houses as of the following day.

* * *

The last trip on the Hogwarts Express had proceeded without any incidents, as Hermione and Ron now seemed to think the best way to treat Harry was to ignore his existence, which didn't bother him at all. For the following few days, Harry stayed at Malfoy Manor with Draco, helping him sort out his things, before Draco moved into Grimmauld Place with Harry, the Thursday following the end of school. The two young men were now unpacking Draco's things.

"I can't believe how much stuff you have", Harry pointed out.

"I'm a pureblood, I think I'm supposed to have a lot of things and a massive house", Draco pointed out.

"That's fine until you move house", Harry complained.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to never move house again", Draco replied, putting his arms around Harry's neck and placing a kiss on his boyfriend's lips.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Harry responded, circling his arms around Draco's waist. "Do you want to go up to the bedroom?"

"Shouldn't we finish unpacking first?" Draco asked.

"Okay", Harry said, drawing his wand. "Books – to the library", he said, waving his wand. Several boxes flew up the stairs, a small thump sounding where they set themselves down. "Clothes to the bedroom", he added, waving his wand again, making five trunks and three suitcases fly up the stairs to the top floor and into the bedroom. "And everything else can be placed in various rooms as we unpack. Now, that's all the heavy lifting done, how about a break?"

"How about a cold shower?" Draco suggested, turning back to a box of various knick-knacks.

"Fine, I'll go unpack your books in the library, and make another bedroom into our – ahem, your, ahem – wardrobe. You sort out the rest of the stuff still down here."

"Okay", Draco agreed, pretending to ignore the mention of the amount of clothes he owned. Harry waited for a moment, hoping for some sort of argument, but when he realised that he wasn't going to get one, he headed upstairs to do as he had said he would, unpacking Draco's books onto bookshelves in the library.

It took a few hours for Harry to sort out all the books and convert the bedroom next to the master bedroom into a joint wardrobe, putting in a door linking it to the master bedroom. He sat down on the bed for a moment, looking at the trunks and suitcases full of Draco's clothes. The door to the bedroom opened and Draco entered.

"I'm done downstairs", he stated.

"Just got to unpack your clothes", Harry pointed out.

"Then we're living together", Draco said. "Then we can figure out what to do with our first weekend in our house."

"Well, I have a surprise for you, actually. Given that we only have a little while before we start studying and working, I thought we could take a break."

"What sort of break?" Draco asked curiously.

"I own an apartment in the magical area of Paris, and I know you speak French, so I booked portkey tickets. We leave tomorrow evening and come back on Monday evening. What do you say?"

"Like I'm going to say 'no' to that", Draco retorted, moving over to where Harry was sitting on the bed. He straddled Harry's lap and kissed him. Harry ran his hands up Draco's back to tangle in blond hair and hold his boyfriend's head in place to lengthen their kiss.

After a few moments, Draco pulled back.

"Shall we start unpacking my clothes?" Draco asked.

"Why?" Harry asked, nuzzling into Draco's neck.

"Well, I'm going to need something to use to pack things for the weekend, so we'll have to empty some of the stuff from at least two of the trunks", Draco pointed out.

"Can't that wait?" Harry asked, cuddling Draco against him as he fell back onto the bed, pulling Draco with him. Draco kissed Harry again, before pushing himself away from his boyfriend and standing up.

"Nope", he replied, before heading into the wardrobe-room, where the trunks and suitcases were still waiting to be unpacked.

"Spoilsport", Harry retorted.

"I'll make it up to you in France", Draco said.

"I'll hold you to that", Harry responded, before following Draco into the wardrobe to help him finish unpacking.

* * *

The following evening, Harry and Draco arrived in Paris at the local time of 8pm.

"What do you want to do first?" Draco asked.

"I think we need to go to bed, you know, to adjust to the time difference."

"It's one hour ahead!"

"Oh yeah, in that case I guess we'll have to find something else to do in bed..." Harry trailed off suggestively.

"Come on, keep it in your pants for a little while, what should we do for dinner?" Draco asked.

"Takeout?" Harry asked.

"From where?" Draco asked.

"Must be something nearby", Harry replied, heading over to the balcony on one side of the living room. He opened the doors leading out onto the balcony and went out to look around.

"What are you going to do, look for a takeout place from the balcony?" Draco asked, smiling.

"Hey, I've never been here before", Harry pointed out. "And we are fairly close to the magical shopping area, so I thought we might be able to see something."

"When my mother comes to France she often orders from a certain takeout place, why don't I Floo call them and sort out some food? It comes through the Floo, so it doesn't matter if it's a little far away."

"Sounds good", Harry agreed. Draco went back into the living room and over to the fireplace, while Harry stayed on the balcony, looking out at Paris.

A few minutes later, Draco returned to rejoin Harry on the balcony.

"All sorted, about fifteen minutes."

"So, what should we do while we're here?" Harry asked.

"I thought all you were thinking about was the bedroom?" Draco smirked.

"Well, that's definitely part of it...but I'd still like to do some sightseeing or something...tomorrow afternoon, after the night and morning in bed."

"I figured as much", Draco smiled. "But we can still do some tourist stuff."

"Although, I know you've been to France a lot..."

"We can still go to museums and things, they change all the time. How about the Louvre?"

"Why not?" Harry replied. "But still spend tomorrow morning in bed?"

"Of course. After all, you're going to be out of the country for weeks at a time."

"I'm also going to be in the country for weeks of a time", Harry pointed out.

"And I'll be studying and out a lot training –"

"Draco, we'll be fine, it's not like we'll have no free time at all."

Before Draco could say anything else, the Floo flared up, and a delivery person stepped through. Draco headed over to pay him and get the food, while Harry fetched plates and utensils from the kitchen.

As they sorted out the food, Draco looked at Harry:

"I didn't mean that we'd have no free time at all, it's just that when you're in Britain you're not going to have much to do, and I'll notice", he said, as he put the takeout containers in the middle of the table and began opening them.

"I don't know how much work I'll have to do in Konoha", Harry pointed out. "I'll probably spend a fair amount of time taking care of the triplets and going on missions that have nothing to do with being an ambassador just to keep my skills ongoing", he added, as he set two places at the table.

"Yeah, but what are you going to do with all your extra time while you're here?" Draco asked.

"I'm Fudge's adviser", Harry pointed out, as he sat down at the table. Draco sat down as well. Both of them began serving up some of the food onto their plates.

"Being his adviser doesn't take up much of your time now, why would that change?" Draco asked, as he began eating.

"Maybe I should do something else, although I don't know what", Harry mused, as he also began eating.

The two of them ate in silence, both thinking about what Harry could do with his extra time. After they had finished eating and were clearing away the mess, Harry had an idea:

"What if I do some sort of university course?" Harry suggested.

"In what?" Draco asked, as he carried the dishes over to the sink, where Harry was filling up the sink with soapy hot water.

"Not sure, but if I do it part-time then I can do it when I'm in the country, especially if I do it without actually going to university."

"You mean like a postal course?" Draco asked.

"Muggles have online degree courses, or if I do a magical subject I can just explain my situation and see if they can make it work somehow", Harry said, as he began washing up while Draco cleared away all the containers, putting the leftovers in the fridge and the empty containers in the bin.

"Perhaps you should do Defence, then you can show up Granger", Draco suggested.

"I don't think I'd really care about a Mastery in Defence", Harry replied. "What about something like Arithmancy? That'd be all from books anyway, so it would be easier to do part-time."

"Or Potions?" Draco suggested, as he closed the fridge. "That would be mostly books, you can easily get a Potions lab in the house, and then I can use it as well for my course. Not to mention the fact that it would annoy Snape to no end if you gained a Mastery in Potions", he smirked, as Harry emptied the water from the sink and dried his hands. "Want me to dry up?" he asked.

"No, leave it to dry", Harry replied. "And Potions might be a good idea, I'm fairly good at it but not so good it would be easy and I do like it, not to mention the fact that it would annoy people like Hermione and Ron, as well as Snape."

"Well, think about it. With your name, you can easily get a place, and you do have the grades to do Potions", Draco pointed out. "So, how about we take a look at the bedroom?" he asked.

"Is that a hint?" Harry asked.

"Maybe", Draco replied with a smirk, before heading to the bedroom.

Harry watched Draco's ass as the blond practically sauntered into the bedroom, stopping to look approvingly at the king-size bed. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks, even managing to remove his shirt in the time it took Harry to follow him into the bedroom.

"Coming to bed then?" Draco asked, climbing onto the massive bed and kneeling to look at Harry.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"I'm glad you sent Kreacher ahead to make sure that everything was clean and the bed was made and everything", Draco commented. "Otherwise we'd have had to spend time making the bed."

"Yeah, and that might have delayed this", Harry pointed out, as he climbed onto the bed as well and kissed Draco. He kicked off his shoes and pushed Draco down onto his back, settling his weight on top of his boyfriend as he continued to kiss him deeply.

"Do you have any ideas then?" Draco asked softly. "If you wanted to keep going 'til tomorrow afternoon?"

"You know I'm good at distractions, why don't you just let me –"

"No, you sorted all this, how about I take control?" Draco asked. He didn't wait for an answer before flipping them both over and pressing Harry down into the mattress. He slid his hands down Harry's sides to grope the dark-haired young man's ass. Harry groaned into the kiss, making Draco increase the pressure of his groping.

After a few moments, Draco sat up, pulling Harry with him. He pulled off the older man's shirt, before pressing his palms against Harry's chest and pushing him back onto the mattress. He reached down to press his hand against the bulge in Harry's trousers.

"Draco, please", Harry groaned, hands gripping the bedcovers.

"I told you, it's my turn to tease", Draco stated. "Now, just let me play", he ordered, squeezing the bulge harder and making Harry groan again.

Draco slowly undid the button and zipper of Harry's trousers, sliding Harry's trousers down his legs at the same slow pace. He pushed them off onto the floor, running his hands back up Harry's bare legs. He settled his hands over the waistband of Harry's underwear.

"Draco –"

"Shh", Draco shushed his boyfriend. He slowly pulled down Harry's underwear, the rock-hard erection popping out to hit Harry's stomach. He circled one finger around the head of Harry's erection, a drop of precome emerging as if in response. Draco leaned down to lick it up, wrapping his lips around the head and sucking harshly. Harry moaned in pleasure, tightly gripping the bedcovers as Draco gradually bobbed his head lower, taking in more and more of Harry's shaft. He trailed his fingers back to rub teasingly at Harry's hole.

"Draco, stop", Harry begged, feeling his orgasm rapidly approaching. Draco merely hummed, the vibrations heightening Harry's pleasure. Harry moaned out Draco's name as his orgasm hit him, coming hard in Draco's mouth. Draco continued to suck all of Harry's come, also continuing to rub at Harry's hole.

After a few moments, Draco sat up. He stood up off the bed, for just long enough to remove his trousers and underwear, revealing his own rock-hard erection. Harry, still buzzing from his orgasm, barely registered Draco flipping him over. Draco muttered an  _Accio_ , summoning the lubricant from one of the suitcases. He squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers, pressing his slippery fingers against Harry's hole. Harry groaned into the mattress as a finger slipped inside, wiggling round to stretch open Harry's hole. A second finger soon slid in alongside the first, scissoring inside Harry.

"Draco, feels good", Harry moaned in appreciation, as a third finger entered him. He groaned deeply as Draco found his prostate, three fingers assaulting it roughly and stretching Harry even further, preparing him for something larger.

"Want more?" Draco asked.

"Stupid question", Harry muttered, pressing his hips back against Draco's fingers. Draco smirked, before flipping Harry back onto his back, climbing on top of him.

Draco kissed Harry deeply, pulling one of Harry's legs up around his waist. Harry slid the other up so that his legs were firmly wrapping around Draco's waist, heels digging in the small of Draco's back as he pressed his body upwards, in silent demand for Draco to continue. Draco moved slowly, taking his time to line himself up, and then pressing only the head inside Harry's hole.

"Draco, I'm done with the teasing", Harry groaned. "Please, just fuck me already, please."

"Such a slut", Draco reproved, although he did relent somewhat, sliding half of his shaft into Harry's hole. He fucked Harry shallowly, nipping teasingly at Harry's neck.

"Draco", Harry whined.

"What? I'm fucking you, aren't I?"

"Please, deeper, faster, more", Harry begged. Draco smirked as he pulled back, grey eyes meeting blue ones, both sets of pupils heavily dilated from the pleasure. Draco knelt up between Harry's legs, pulling them around to be in front of him and pushing them so that Harry's knees were against the dark-haired young man's chest. He held Harry's legs in place as he slid in deeper, striking Harry's prostate. Draco moved slowly, fucking Harry deeply but slowly, making the pleasure build slowly. Harry groaned, fighting Draco's hold on his legs in an attempt to pull the blond closer.

"Harry, I told you to let me take control", Draco reprimanded him.

"Want to touch you too", Harry said. "Please?"

"Fine", Draco smiled, releasing Harry's legs. The dark-haired man wrapped them around Draco's waist, using it as leverage to pull himself into a sitting position on Draco's cock, the blond still kneeling on the bed. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's neck, pressing his mouth to the blond's. Their tongues tangled as Draco allowed Harry to take control, before moving his legs around in front of him and laying back, letting Harry ride him. Harry settled his knees on either side of Draco, the blond reaching up to press his hands flat against Harry's chest, as the dark-haired young man continued to rock back and forth on Draco's hardened shaft.

"So good", Harry moaned, as he rocked faster and faster.

"So are you", Draco replied approvingly, as his hands found purchase on Harry's hips, helping the dark-haired young man to move even faster.

"Draco, so close", Harry moaned, starting to fall forwards as his second orgasm approached rapidly. Draco grabbed Harry's hips tightly and flipped Harry onto his back once again, fucking Harry with renewed vigour.

"Close too", Draco muttered, leaning forward over Harry to kiss him. Harry kissed back roughly, before his mouth slackened, throwing his head back as he moaned loudly. Harry came hard against his and Draco's stomachs, his hole clenching tightly around Draco's hard shaft. Draco continued fucking Harry through his orgasm before allowing his own to wash over him, releasing himself deep inside Harry with a long moan. Draco's movements stuttered before he stilled. He pulled back, withdrawing himself from Harry's body and flopping down beside him. Harry lazily muttered a spell in parseltongue, cleaning them both up and moving to cuddle against Draco.

"Sleep?" Harry asked.

"Nap", Draco corrected. We're not done yet..."

* * *

Harry awoke some time later to the feeling of a warm and wet pressure around his cock. He groaned as he realised it was Draco's mouth, sucking him to full hardness.

"Draco?" Harry questioned.

"Told you we were only having a nap", Draco replied, looking up briefly before returning to his task. Harry groaned as the pleasurable suction began again.

"Draco, come up here", Harry said. "Please."

"Fine", Draco relented, releasing Harry's semi-hard erection and pulling himself up Harry's body. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, holding him close and kissing him. He pressed his tongue into Draco's mouth, sliding his hands down the blond's back and around to the front, so he could rub at Draco's erection, which was in a similar state to his own. Harry wrapped his hand around both of their erections, jerking them together as they both hardened fully.

"How do you want to continue?" Harry asked slyly.

"What part of 'I'm in control' is unclear? I'm distracting you, remember?"

"Yeah, I get it", Harry said, smiling at Draco. He kissed his boyfriend again quickly, before lying back into the bed, allowing Draco to take control. Draco slid his hands down Harry's sides and around to rub at Harry's hole, still lubricated from their activities earlier that evening.

"Still ready", Draco commented.

"And willing", Harry added, looking pointedly at Draco. Draco smirked at him, sliding two fingers into the hole, quickly scissoring them and preparing Harry for another round. Harry moaned as Draco hit his prostate, only once though, before withdrawing his fingers.

"Stay there", Draco ordered, sitting up and straddling Harry's lap. He smirked down at Harry before twisting around, allowing his rear to teasingly rub against Harry's cock. He knelt up so that he wasn't touching Harry, then reached his hand around. Draco's fingers were still lubricated from Harry's hole, and he used this as lubrication to slide them in his own hole, slowly fingering himself and letting Harry watch.

"Draco, let me touch", Harry begged.

"If you do, I'll go back to sleep", Draco threatened, as he slowly worked a third finger inside himself.

"Just hurry up."

"Where's the fun in that?" Draco asked, looking back over his shoulder. He smirked at Harry, before reaching down and gripping Harry's cock, holding the hard shaft upright and lining it up with his own hole, before sinking down on it slowly. Draco continued to sink until Harry's entire cock was buried inside of him.

"Fuck, Draco."

"Feels so good", Draco groaned, rocking slowly on Harry's cock.

"Want me to help you move faster?" Harry suggested, resting his hands loosely on Draco's hips.

"I told you not to touch", Draco warned.

"But it'll feel better for you as well", Harry pleaded.

"Fine", Draco relented. Harry gripped Draco's hips tighter, helping the blond ride him faster, lifting and dropping pale hips as Draco repeatedly impaled himself on Harry's hard shaft.

"See? It's better", Harry pointed out, groaning in pleasure. He groaned louder as Draco rotated on Harry's cock so he was facing his boyfriend. Harry again gripped Draco's hips to help him move.

Before long, both young men were close. Draco continued to rock his hips, Harry still helping him. Draco moaned as he rode out his orgasm, come splattering across Harry's chest as Draco's rocking stuttered. Harry held Draco's hips and thrust upwards a few more times, before his own orgasm hit him, and he released himself inside Draco. The blond groaned as he felt Harry's warm seed inside him, letting Harry finish and stop thrusting before he raised himself from Harry's cock, sliding to one side.

"I love you", Draco said seriously, as he leaned half on Harry and half on the pillows on the bed.

"I love you too", Harry replied with a sleepy smile, muttering a spell to clean himself up and cuddling Draco closely.

"I guess we have to get up tomorrow?" Draco asked.

"Why?"

"What did we come to France just for sex?"

"No, but we can still have a lie-in", Harry pointed out.

"Good point", Draco responded sleepily. He put his head on Harry's shoulder, the dark-haired young man wrapping an arm around the pale waist, as the two young men fell asleep together.

* * *

Sasuke paused momentarily as he reached the top of the mountain he'd just run up. He looked down to the area below him, where a battle was already taking place, and a two-on-one battle at that – at least it was. As Sasuke took his brief pause, one of the people below him was thrown backwards against the side of the mountain, with enough force that Sasuke felt it from his position over two hundred feet up. It was now a one-on-one battle below him, although Sasuke was about to change that, as he quickly moved down to join the battle.

"Can't even fight a simple battle, dobe?" he asked in his usual tone, as he landed beside Naruto, having jumped the last bit down the mountain.

"You're here?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"No, you're imagining me". Sasuke deadpanned.

"Shut up, teme!" Naruto shouted, with his usual tone of voice returning. Sasuke looked behind the blond, where Sai was crumpled on the ground at the base of the mountain, unconscious but apparently still alive. He turned back to see Danzo opposite himself and Naruto, smirking at the two of them.

"I'm not sure you have anything to smirk about". Sasuke pointed out. "Even though that idiot should have fought harder to save his own child", he added, indicating Sai.

"His child?" Danzo asked. "What have you been telling him, Rokudaime-kun?" he asked, the honorific making plain how little he thought of Naruto.

"Shut up", Naruto ground out. However, Sasuke, long used to Naruto's way of acting, could hear through the annoyed tone to the worry beneath –  _what don't I know?_  Sasuke asked himself,  _and why is Naruto so worried that I'll find out whatever it is?_

"Madara isn't Sai's", Danzo stated.

" 'Madara'?" Sasuke repeated.

"Surprised that the Rokudaime gave his son a Uchiha name even when you weren't around to knock him up?" Danzo asked.

"The baby – is Naruto's?"

* * *

**Next Chapter – The conclusion of the battle and the rescue of Naruto's child!**


	22. Sasuke's Eye

Normal Text

_Thoughts_

**_Flashback_ **

**Thoughts within a flashback**

SUMMARY: Voldemort's body may be dead, but he still has Horcruxes. Harry has to find them, while training to be a shinobi and learning to be a wizard Lord, not to mention classes and Draco. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke have to deal with pregnancy and parenthood... Will they be able to handle everything?

WARNINGS: SasuNaru, Drarry, HarryxDraco, SuiKarin, RonxHermione, suggested KakaIru, suggested SaiSaku, explicit yaoi, mpreg

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, they are the property of J. K. Rowling and Masashi Kishimoto respectively

* * *

**Previously:**

Sasuke paused momentarily as he reached the top of the mountain he'd just run up. He looked down to the area below him, where a battle was already taking place, and a two-on-one battle at that – at least it was. As Sasuke took his brief pause, one of the people below him was thrown backwards against the side of the mountain, with enough force that Sasuke felt it from his position over two hundred feet up. It was now a one-on-one battle below him, although Sasuke was about to change that, as he quickly moved down to join the battle.

"Can't even fight a simple battle, dobe?" he asked in his usual tone, as he landed beside Naruto, having jumped the last bit down the mountain.

"You're here?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"No, you're imagining me". Sasuke deadpanned.

"Shut up, teme!" Naruto shouted, with his usual tone of voice returning. Sasuke looked behind the blond, where Sai was crumpled on the ground at the base of the mountain, unconscious but apparently still alive. He turned back to see Danzo opposite himself and Naruto, smirking at the two of them.

"I'm not sure you have anything to smirk about". Sasuke pointed out. "Even though that idiot should have fought harder to save his own child", he added, indicating Sai.

"His child?" Danzo asked. "What have you been telling him, Rokudaime-kun?" he asked, the honorific making plain how little he thought of Naruto.

"Shut up", Naruto ground out. However, Sasuke, long used to Naruto's way of acting, could hear through the annoyed tone to the worry beneath – what don't I know? Sasuke asked himself, and why is Naruto so worried that I'll find out whatever it is?

"Madara isn't Sai's", Danzo stated.

"'Madara'?" Sasuke repeated.

"Surprised that the Rokudaime gave his son a Uchiha name even when you weren't around to knock him up?" Danzo asked.

"The baby – is Naruto's?"

* * *

**Now:**

"What?" Sasuke said in disbelief, looking between Naruto and Danzo.

"It's not important now, teme!" Naruto shouted. "Now tell me where he is?!" he yelled at Danzo.

"Not important?! I shouldn't know I have another baby! And how often did you send our baby off with the pink moron and the idiot pervert?!"

"Not now!"

"Yes, now!"

"After we get Madara back!"

"NOW!"

"Why do you assume it's even yours, Uchiha?" Danzo asked. Sasuke turned to glare at him.

"Shut up", he growled ominously.

"Maybe that's why it was kept a secr–" Danzo began, but was cut off when black flames erupted around him, Sasuke's Sharingan active as his eyes glinted dangerously.

Within moments, Danzo had faded away.

"What the hell, teme?! We don't know where Madara –"

"How long?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"What?"

"How long were you going to keep our baby a secret?" Sasuke asked, apparently emotionlessly, although Naruto knew he was actually very upset.

"It's not like that, Sasuke."

"Then what is it like?"

Suddenly, the two were forced to jump apart to avoid several kunai thrown their way.

"What the hell?!" Naruto yelled. Before them, Danzo stood unscathed, as if he had never been injured at all, although the Amaterasu had burnt away his upper clothing to reveal…

"Not that easy", Danzo taunted the two younger shinobi.

"Sasuke", Naruto said quietly. "His arm… he has a bunch of Sharingan eyes embedded in it."

"I see that", Sasuke replied, trying to keep his rage in check.

"You thought that I wouldn't take advantage of my position?" Danzo chortled. "I knew the Uchiha rebellion wouldn't end while there were still any of you alive, and look! I was right. Using the Rokudaime to propagate a new clan, a new army to take over with. But I'll stop you two here and now, and that little one will grow up to end the rest."

Sasuke's glare intensified, and he and Naruto were suddenly surrounded by Susanoo, which slammed a fist down onto Danzo in order to crush him. Danzo faded from sight under the fist, as if crushed, but Sasuke and Naruto remained alert as Susanoo withdrew its fist and faded away. The two young shinobi looked at the large crater that had been formed, the dust clearing to reveal… Danzo still standing there, again unharmed, with a smirk on his face.

"Don't you understand?" Danzo asked, calling to them across the battlefield. "I'm protected because I am doing what is right, while the two of you are rebuilding the Uchiha clan to take over Konoha!"

"They're babies!" Naruto yelled back. "They haven't hurt anyone! And none of the four of them ever will!"

"You're wrong, and that is why you must die! And then 'Madara' as you've styled him will grow to end the three young Uchihas!"

"He's as much a Uchiha as they are", Sasuke pointed out.

"The Rokudaime got pregnant while you were gone, Uchiha! The baby is Sai's. And while Sai may have failed to be the weapon against your clan, this one won't be allowed to fail."

Danzo moved to attack them again, another barrage of weapons flying at Naruto and Sasuke, until it was stopped by Naruto's Rasenshuriken flying at Danzo, deepening the crater. Again the dust cleared, and again Danzo remained unharmed.

"Ne, Sasuke? The eyes on his arm are closing…"

"…each time we make a fatal strike", Sasuke finished. "It's Izanagi."

"You know about it?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Hn."

Naruto felt a change in the air around him but he could not question it, as Sasuke immediately brought back Susanoo to strike Danzo again, first with a fist, then drawing back to strike with a sword, and then making a third attack with an arrow. All three strikes found their mark, and Danzo lost three more of the eyes on his arm, but as Susanoo faded, it became obvious that Sasuke was rapidly tiring.

Naruto realised that there was nothing they could do to make Danzo talk, and that, as his 'weapon', Madara would likely be close by where Danzo could retrieve him after the battle. He generated as many shadow clones as he could, having them continually bombard Danzo and the ever-increasing crater with several Rasenshuriken, hoping to close all of the eyes as quickly as possible. However, in a brief moment where he looked over to where Sasuke was standing, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Sasuke, panting for breath, watched as Naruto struck Danzo again and again. And he watched as a kunai flew towards Naruto, hitting him before Sasuke could intervene, although he teleported himself over to Naruto as he fell, catching his boyfriend's body as he slumped in his arms, dead.

"You're next, Uchiha", Danzo stated, having moved closer to the two of them. Sasuke noted the number of remaining eyes, having earlier raised a genjutsu to cover the true amount that were left, and realised that Danzo was out of eyes, all those embedded in his arm having been destroyed.

Danzo watched as Sasuke looked at Naruto, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, before he suddenly felt the air change as a genjutsu faded. Danzo looked at his arm, realising that he had no more attempts left, and that he had to end Sasuke's life quickly. However, before he could act, he found himself pinned under a massive weight. As he twisted to see what had happened, he realised he was being sat on by…

"No, that's not possible!" Danzo shouted in anger.

"Yes, it is", he heard from above him. Danzo looked up to see Sasuke, one eye closed and the other whirling with the Sharingan, the last thing he saw before Sasuke's katana came down and severed his head from his body. Sasuke collapsed against the giant toad, falling unconscious, his last thought:  _Not that easy._

* * *

Awareness returned to him slowly, and he extended his senses to the surrounding area.  _Beeping noises, distant sense of people rushing around, dobe and…_

"Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"How are you feeling, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn."

"Ya know, if you answer then we can leave you alone with them."

Sasuke slowly opened one eye. Karin and Suigetsu were standing to one side of the bed, with Naruto sitting on the other side, a large cot in the corner presumably containing the babies –

"You rescue him?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

"Yeah."

"Sasuke-kun, would you just tell me how you feel so we can go?" Karin asked.

"Fine."

" 'Fine'?" Naruto repeated, his tone full of poorly-concealed and uncharacteristic anger.

At that moment, the door to the room opened and Tsunade entered, Sakura trailing behind her.

"I see you're awake then", Tsunade noted.

"Hn."

"He says he's fine, Tsunade-sama", Karin stated.

"We'll see", Tsunade replied.

"Will you take them, please?" Naruto said to Karin, Suigetsu, and Sakura, nodding towards the cot. The three went over and lifted the babies – all four of them – into two different pushchairs that were folded alongside them, Karin and Sakura wheeling them out while Suigetsu folded the cot flat and hoisted it onto his back before following them. He spared Sasuke a nod before he left, the door sliding closed behind them.

"I want to see him", Sasuke said.

"Later", Naruto replied succinctly.

For the next few moments, as Tsunade checked Sasuke's injuries, the room remained in silence. Eventually Tsunade pronounced that Sasuke would be fine after a few more days rest and left the couple alone.

"How long have I been out?" Sasuke asked.

"Almost two months. It's the 24th of July. Harry will be back soon, he finished school a week ago."

"What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"Danzo took our baby that you were keeping secret from me and we stopped him."

"It took multiple tries because of the Sharingan on his arms, you used a genjutsu to trick him into believing he had one more when he didn't."

"Izanagi", Sasuke said.

"Yeah, I know. I also know what you did."

"And you're angry at me?"

"If you'd come with me in the first place –"

"I would have if I'd known he was my baby", Sasuke pointed out. "Why were you keeping it from me?"

"I wasn't, I was keeping it from the village elders as Tsunade-baa-chan was worried about Danzo. I was going to tell you, but when you came back you weren't alone."

"Missed you, wanted to come straight to see you."

"With statements like that perhaps I should wonder if you're dying", Naruto joked, all anger fading from his voice as he looked up at Sasuke, blue eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Hn, dobe", Sasuke grunted, the barest hint of a smile on his face. "Here."

"What?"

"Come up here, want to kiss you."

"Oh", Naruto said, before smiling again and climbing onto the bed beside Sasuke. "Just let me know if I hurt you, okay?"

"Hn", came the expected grunt before Sasuke pulled Naruto on top of him and kissed him hard.

The two of them continued making out for several minutes, their kisses full of all the built-up tension from the last year. Eventually they stopped, and Naruto leaned up to look down at his injured boyfriend beneath him.

"Sasuke, what you did… I mean, the cost…"

"You're here, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but… you spent months searching for Itachi in the hope of getting his eyes, and I know you're here in Konoha at least partly because you wanted to protect his legacy, and yet… for me…"

"Naruto –"

"Sasuke, you lost an eye!"

"And it fixed things. He killed you, Naruto, and I couldn't let that happen, so I changed it – and if it cost me an eye, what difference does it make? That's the price of Izanagi, I knew that, and I would pay it again and lose my only remaining eye if it brought you back to me."

For a moment they remained silent, the normally monosyllabic young man's uncharacteristically long speech revealing his feelings just as much as the actions to which the speech referred.

"I love you too, teme", Naruto muttered, before leaning down to kiss Sasuke again. He then moved to get up, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Naruto", Sasuke growled.

"I have to go", Naruto said.

"Why?"

"Er – you're not going to like it… it's, well… it's – official Hokage business! So, you know, if you'd like to let me stand up and go and deal with the… official business…"

"What business?" Sasuke growled menacingly.

"Er – well, you see", Naruto began. "I-have-to-greet-the-Kazekage", he said rapidly.

"No."

"Sasuke! It's not like I want to leave you, but it's official, and it's Gaara, and – mmph!"

Sasuke cut off Naruto's protests by kissing him, pressing his tongue into Naruto's mouth and running it around the insides of Naruto's cheeks. The blond groaned, pressing down into Sasuke's body. Sasuke continued kissing Naruto, distracting him, while he pushed down the bedcovers that were between them, only his hospital gown and Naruto's trousers separating their groins.

"Sasuke – nngh – not here", Naruto half-whispered, half-moaned, as Sasuke began palming him through his trousers, before slipping his hand down inside Naruto's underwear.

"Been so long", Sasuke muttered. "Need you to know you're mine."

"Everyone knows that t-teme!" Naruto stuttered, as Sasuke's cool hand wrapped around his heated member, slowly sliding up and down the hardened shaft.

Again taking advantage of how easy it was to distract the blond, Sasuke pushed Naruto's trousers and underwear down to his knees, pulling up his own hospital gown and ignoring the bandages over his thigh in favour of pressing their hardnesses together. He kissed Naruto, swallowing the moan, before reaching his hands round to grasp at Naruto's buttocks, pulling the two of them impossibly closer.

"Missed this", Sasuke grunted, as Naruto began slowly rutting down against Sasuke.

"Y-yeah", Naruto agreed, pressing himself down with increasing speed, until he was wildly rutting himself against Sasuke.

Both young men grunted and groaned, until the dark-haired young shinobi finally wrapped his hand around both of their shafts, pulling only a few times before they were both coming, Naruto throwing his head back and screaming Sasuke's name in ecstasy, while Sasuke quietly grunted through his release. After a few moments, as Naruto was coming down from his orgasmic high:

"Dammit, teme! We're in a public place! Everyone probably just heard that!"

"We have kids. Everyone knows we are having sex, dobe", Sasuke shrugged.  _And if everyone nearby has realised just how much you're mine then that's even better,_ Sasuke thought to himself, smirking internally and externally.

"Stop smirking!" Naruto half-yelled. "Besides, you're injured!"

"You died", Sasuke pointed out. "From a kunai."

"Yeah, a kunai can kill me too! I'm a jinchuriki not immortal! Besides, you used Izanagi to undo it, and what injuries I got were healed by Kyuubi anyway!"

"Hn", Sasuke grunted, his self-satisfied smirk remaining in place as Naruto began rushing around the room, cleaning up himself and Sasuke and opening the window.

"They'll all have heard", Naruto muttered, blushing red.

"And they'll know how much you missed me", Sasuke pointed out.

"Not the point! And I missed greeting Gaara! Actual official business!"

"Naruto –"

"Leaving now!"

"Only if you come back with them."

"Them who?" Naruto asked, distracted from going to Gaara for a second time.

"Our children. All four of them."

"Sasuke –"

"So what if it's official business – you think I haven't realised how much time you've spent in here?" Sasuke asked, indicating the rubbish bin full of baby food containers and empty instant ramen cups.

"Yeah, but…"

"Please."

Naruto sighed, knowing he could never deny Sasuke when he actually asked for something, especially as he actually found himself wanting to be here more than he wanted to be Hokage, at least until he was sure Sasuke was actually okay.

"Fine", Naruto relented. "I won't be long."

"Good", Sasuke replied, watching as Naruto slipped from the room, still blushing, in order to get their kids.  _Now I just have to make sure the raccoon and everyone else knows he's_ _mine_ _,_  Sasuke mused to himself.  _But for my plan to work I'll have to wait for Gaara to leave… and as long as I'm 'severely injured' then Naruto won't leave my side for long…_

* * *

Harry shook his head, still not completely used to long-distance portkeys.  _I guess I'll have to start getting used to them if I'm going to be back and forth between Konoha and Britain all the time_ , he mused to himself, as he pushed the trunk that he had brought with him against the foot of the bed. He headed downstairs and out of his house into the Uchiha district, heading for his brothers' house.

Harry knocked on the door, knowing that someone was there as he could hear one of the babies crying slightly, and entered before he heard a response. He went through into the living room, where he could hear the crying coming from. The triplets were in a play-pen in one corner of the room, half playing with and half chewing some of their toys, while Sasuke was almost absent-mindedly rocking another baby, this being the one Harry had heard crying, while staring at a closed door.

"Sasuke?" Harry asked.

"Hn?"

"The baby you're holding…?"

"Me and Naruto had another. Madara Uzumaki."

"Congratulations, but, well…"

"What?"

"He's crying", Harry replied simply.

"Yeah", Sasuke said, rocking the baby a little more but still keeping his glare trained on the door.

"Here", Harry said, going over and taking his third nephew from his brother. He gently rocked Madara until the crying subsided and he began to fall asleep.

After a few moments, Madara had completely fallen asleep, and Harry went to place him in the cot that he assumed was for the new baby, being too small for the triplets any more. He smiled at the triplets before returning to where Sasuke was sitting.

"What's going on in there?" Harry asked.

"Meeting."

"And that has you so angry because…?"

"Wants him."

"Who wants who?" Harry asked in confusion. Before Sasuke could answer, the door opened, and Naruto and the Kazekage emerged.

"Harry!" Naruto half-shouted, before going to hug his brother. "How long have you been here?"

"Just a few minutes. Good day, Kazekage-sama", Harry replied, bowing respectfully to Gaara.

"Ya, sorry, I was seeing Gaara here not at the Hokage tower as Sasuke's injured", Naruto explained.

"He is?" Harry asked, looking at Sasuke.

"Hn", Sasuke replied. "I'm fine."

"Not what baa-chan says", Naruto said, smiling. "Come on Uncle Gaara, time to see the kids again", he added, pulling the redhead over to the playpen and cot where the four children were.

"I don't get it, why the glare?" Harry asked quietly, realising that Sasuke was still glaring at the two Kages.

"Wants him", Sasuke said again.

"Naruto wouldn't do that. And why would the Kazekage try to get between you?"

"Says they have a 'special bond'", Sasuke muttered.

"So make your own bond with Naruto", Harry shrugged.

"We have four kids. Two Uchihas and two Uzumakis. And everyone knows about us now, and about all four of them."

"I meant marry him or something", Harry said, rolling his eyes before going over to join the two Kages.

Sasuke stood on one side of the room, continuing to aim the patented Uchiha death glare at the Kazekage, who was standing too close to his children as far as Sasuke was concerned.

"I probably should be going", Gaara said.

"May I walk you back to wherever you are staying, Kazekage-sama?" Harry asked politely, hoping to allow his brothers to talk – and to cover up whatever reply Sasuke may have made that would have almost certainly been rude.

"Thank you", Gaara said, inclining his head in acceptance.

Harry and Gaara left, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone with their children, heading through the village to the Hokage tower.

"Is he always so jealous of everyone around Naruto?" Gaara wondered. "They have several children."

"Er – well, you see, Kazekage-sama, I think it's just…you."

"Me?"

"Sasuke is only really jealous of you. He just said something about some 'special bond' between you and Naruto."

"Yes, but it is a shared life experience, not a romantic connection", Gaara explained, not mentioning that he had been a jinchuriki to the Leaf-nin.

"Maybe Sasuke doesn't know that, Kazekage-sama? Or maybe he just doesn't understand?"

Gaara looked at the dark-haired young man, wondering how close he was to the Kyuubi jinchuriki and his partner.  _He is a Uchiha, but an unknown one until now, and Naruto mentioned something about wizards_ … His thoughts trailed off as he reached the Hokage tower, where Temari was waiting for him.

"Thank you", he said to Harry.

"Of course, Kazekage-sama", Harry said, bowing and then continuing into the tower to make Tsunade aware of his return.

* * *

Waking up slowly, Sasuke extended his awareness to discover Naruto was not in bed beside him, but was only in the next room.

"Dobe?" he called.

"Madara was hungry", Naruto replied softly, returning to their bedroom and climbing back into bed with his boyfriend.

"Maybe he missed you with all the work you've been doing for the last few days."

"I am the Hokage, Sasuke", Naruto reminded him. "Although, I did miss my boyfriend…" he added, trailing off thoughtfully.

"Marry me", Sasuke said.

"What?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Marry me", Sasuke repeated.

"Can you make it sound a bit more like a question?"

"A question implies optional answers. The answer is 'yes'."

"Then why even say it at all?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"So you'd know we're engaged", Sasuke shrugged, before pulling Naruto against him and pressing his mouth to Naruto's, sliding his tongue into the blond's mouth.

"Sasuke, injuries", Naruto panted, when Sasuke finally released his mouth to kiss down the blond's neck.

"Been ten days. I'm fine."

"Madara –"

"Sleeping. So are the triplets, and we have baby monitors if we need them. And I've missed you while you've been working."

"I'm not sure – mmph!" Naruto grunted, as Sasuke silenced his protests by returning his mouth to Naruto's, rolling them over so that the blond was pinned to the bed beneath them.

After a few moments of kissing him, Sasuke pulled back and quickly divested both of them of their shirts, moving his mouth back down to lick and nip and kiss down Naruto's chest. As he moved lower down the blond's body, he pushed Naruto's lower garments down and off out of the bottom of the bed.

"Sasuke!" Naruto near-shouted, as Sasuke's mouth reached its destination, lips wrapping around the head of Naruto's cock. Sasuke sucked harshly, making Naruto fist the bed-sheets, groaning and thrusting upwards, hoping to encourage Sasuke to do more. Sasuke sucked hard, but took no more of Naruto's shaft into his mouth, instead sucking only on the head.

"Sasuke – nngh! – more, please!" Naruto groaned and begged, thrashing on the bed. Sasuke smirked around his mouthful, pushing his own trousers down and kicking them off, then pressing his hardness against the bed for some relief. He pulled back, licking the head of Naruto's cock a couple of times, before looking up at the blond.

"More what?" Sasuke asked innocently, as if the words weren't coming from a mouth that had just been sucking a rock-hard cock.

"Please, more!"

"You have to tell me what you want more of, Naruto, I don't understand."

"Anything!"

"Really? So if I rub your knee?"

"Dammit, teme, touch me!"

"I am touching you."

"Not there!"

"Well, you should be more specific, you did say to do 'anything'", Sasuke pointed out, smirking up at Naruto.

"Sasuke!"

"Yes?"

"Stop playing and fuck me already", Naruto growled down at him. Sasuke looked up at the darkened blue eyes, for a second seeing a hint of purple entering them before it seemed to disappear. He smirked at Naruto one last time before swallowing down Naruto's cock to the root in one motion. The blond thrashed for a couple of moments before stilling, throwing his head back and screaming Sasuke's name as he spurted into the dark-haired young man's waiting mouth.

Sasuke continued sucking on the sensitive organ, swallowing down every drop of Naruto's release and continuing to suck.

"Sasuke", Naruto groaned brokenly.

"Hn", Sasuke hummed around the cock in his mouth.

"Done."

"Nope", Sasuke said almost cheerfully, releasing Naruto's cock with a pop. He looked up at the flushed face framed with blond hair, before suddenly rolling Naruto over onto his front.

"Sasuke…?"

"Not done yet", Sasuke stated, running his tongue over Naruto's puckered entrance. Naruto sighed in pleasure, his sigh turning into a moan when the skilled tongue breached his entrance and pressed inside insistently.

"Sasuke", Naruto sighed in pleasure, feeling his cock hardening again where it was pressed between his belly and the mattress. Sasuke smirking as he pressed his tongue as deep inside Naruto's entrance as he could, wiggling a finger in alongside it and pressing down into the mattress himself, seeking some relief for his swollen cock. He quickly added a second finger, withdrawing his tongue and kissing up Naruto's spine as he continued to scissor and thrust his fingers in and out of Naruto's stretching hole.

"Fun?"

"Sure you want that to be a question", Naruto deadpanned, before yelping as Sasuke bit his shoulder.

"Mine", Sasuke said, before returning his mouth to the bite and sucking a large hickey into Naruto's shoulder.

"Yes, yours, now hurry up and fuck me!" Naruto near-screamed, the two fingers inside him insistently nudging against his prostate with every thrust.

"Knew you'd agree to marry me", Sasuke muttered.

"What do you mean – oh!" Naruto moaned loudly, before burying his face in the pillow as Sasuke's cock entered him in one motion. Sasuke began thrusting rapidly in and out of the blond's pliant hole, chest pressed to Naruto's back, and teeth and lips sucking multiple claiming marks all over Naruto's upper back, shoulders and neck.

Sasuke continued roughly moving in and out of Naruto for several moments, before pulling back and pushing himself onto his knees, pulling Naruto up onto his hands and knees in front of him. He sped up his thrusts, rapidly pushing himself in and out of the blond's body, every thrust able to push Naruto back onto his stomach if Sasuke hadn't been holding onto tanned hips to prevent this.

"Kami, yes – there!" Naruto yelled, arching his back and screaming Sasuke's name a final time as he sprayed come all over the mattress, Sasuke's thrusts not stuttering or slowing down at all as he continued to seek his own release. It took only a few more thrusts before he was groaning through his own pleasure, emptying himself deep into Naruto's hole.

Sasuke gave a few more weak thrusts before withdrawing his softening cock, releasing Naruto's hips. The blond fell bonelessly to the mattress.

"Sticky", Naruto muttered, realising he'd just fallen into a puddle of his own come, and Sasuke's was beginning to drip down his thighs.

"And mine", Sasuke added.

"Yes", Naruto said simply, turning to look up at Sasuke, still kneeling on the bed over him. Their eyes met and Sasuke knew that he wasn't agreeing to Sasuke's statement of ownership, but to the idea of marriage. The barest hint of a smile graced Sasuke's face before he allowed himself to flop to the mattress beside the blond. Naruto cuddled against him, both of them ignoring the need to wash off as they bathed in the afterglow.  _Mine, and soon married to me,_ Sasuke thought to himself.  _And I waited for that stupid raccoon to leave, and he can't come back that quickly, so I'll just have to convince Naruto to marry me before he can come back, then next time they have 'official Kage business' he'll know not to touch Naruto. I'll make sure everyone knows how much he is mine – the Hokage's wedding will have to be big after all…_

* * *

Shikamaru was lying on his back, looking up at the sky, when a shadow fell over him. He turned his gaze to see one of Tsunade's bodyguards, Genma, who was sucking on a senbon.

"Hokage wants to see you", he said simply, before moving off.

"Mendokuse", Shikamaru muttered, pulling himself slowly to his feet and lazily stretching, before heading towards the Hokages' tower.

Shikamaru quickly arrived at the Hokages' tower, moving through towards Tsunade's office. He knocked and entered, briefly surprised by the number of people in this room, but standing with all of them in front of Tsunade's desk, both her and Naruto standing behind the desk.

"Now we're all here", Tsunade began, "we can begin. We have received intelligence relating to the whereabouts of the reanimated Akatsuki members, Deidera and Kakuzu, the former travelling with one of the surviving Akatsuki, the masked-nin. We have no information to suggest that any of the other Akatsuki are around; if they are, then they aren't doing anything at all, so we believe that taking out these last three will destroy the organisation."

"Deidera and the weird masked one have been reported to be moving through Yugakure, the Land of Hot Water, towards Konoha", Naruto took over the briefing. "Harry, Suigetsu, Kakashi, and Sai are to head up towards the border, find them, and take them out. Kakuzu is in the vicinity of the Akatsuki hideout where Shukaku was extracted from Gaara, in the Land of Rivers, and Sasuke, Shikamaru, Juugo, and Ino are to go after him."

"You all know about these Akatsuki from previous reports, and we don't know how long they will be staying in these areas", Tsunade stated. "Therefore, you are all to leave immediately, stopping only to gather anything you vitally need. Understood?"

"Hai!" came seven responses in unison, Sasuke giving his usual grunt of agreement. Immediately, the eight of them split into their two teams of four and headed out of Tsunade's office, both groups moving towards the village gates.

"Do you think four on each team is enough?" Tsunade mused to Naruto.

"Meh, they have Sasuke on one, he'll be quick in order to get back her to the babies", Naruto pointed out. "And Harry's actually pretty good at keeping all of them in line, so he won't let his team dawdle. Besides, everyone knows how important this is, baa-chan", he reminded her.

"Brat", she retorted fondly, as he smiled widely at her before leaving her office.  _It wasn't exactly speed I was thinking about,_ Tsunade mused to herself.  _Sasuke will never be fully trusted to leave the village, and his desire to return may mean he goes_ _too_ _quickly, endangering his team, especially with his eye... And Harry, while powerful, is still only a chuunin, and hasn't completed many missions. They may know it's important, but will they be able to win?_

* * *

Both teams had immediately left the village, instantly separating to head in different directions, the first team, Harry, Suigetsu, Kakashi, and Sai, heading North-East towards Yugakure, while the second team, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Juugo, and Ino headed West towards the Land of Rivers.

It was only a few hours later that the first team came close to the border, having moved swiftly towards Yugakure. The four of them paused for a moment in the trees which they had been running through, as the forest was beginning to open up into a large open area. Some way ahead of them, they could see two figures walking, both dressed in the distinctive black cloaks with red clouds. The four looked at their targets for a moment before moving off as one, running as stealthily as they could across the open field to catch up with the two Akatsuki members.

As the four Konoha-nin approached, the two Akatsuki members turned to face them.

"Looks like we have some people to make art with", Deidera mentioned, grinning broadly.

"Yes", Tobi replied simply, before moving to run off away from them.

"What, you aren't going to fight them?!" Deidera shouted after him, "Whatever, I'll just turn you into art myself", he shrugged.

"He's mine", Kakashi muttered to his three younger companions, before heading off after Tobi in a blur of speed.

"Shouldn't one of us follow so it's two-on-one in both places?" Harry asked Suigetsu and Sai quietly. However, before any of them could follow Kakashi and Tobi, they were forced to move out of the way, as Deidera aimed several explosions at them.

When the smoke cleared, Deidara appeared to be gone, but Harry quickly noticed that he had created a massive bird out of his explosive material. Sai pulled out a scroll and drew a bird, allowing the three young shinobi to chase after Deidera through the air, Sai controlling his bird while Harry and Suigetsu aimed attacks towards Deidera and his bird.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had managed to catch up to Tobi, who had been moving along the treeline of the forest that the Konoha-nin had come through.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked firmly, as soon as he believed the masked-nin would be able to hear him. Tobi looked him up and down.

"Shouldn't you know?" he asked simply, before removing his mask.

Kakashi's visible eye widened in shock, and he drew in a deep breath.

"How…?" Kakashi breathed.

"How what?"

"You're alive… Obito… why are you Akatsuki, why didn't you just come back if you survived?"

"I did come back. And I saw what happened to Rin", Obito said firmly, his anger evident in his voice.

"Rin…"

"You killed her", Obito stated.

"Not like that, she –"

"There's no need to offer some vague excuse, you killed her!"

Before Kakashi could say anything else, a large shadow suddenly passed over them, causing them both to look up. Deidara's explosive bird had been struck by a spell Harry had cast in his attempt to bring it down, this attempt succeeding as the explosive material was rapidly hurtling towards the ground near them. Realising what was about to happen, Kakashi grabbed Obito, pulling him away from the spot the bird was in a nosedive towards. The bird hit the ground, causing a massive explosion which engulfed the area, and whiteness filled the eyes of everyone there, as they were all caught up in q massive explosion.

* * *

The second team from Konoha, comprised of Sasuke, Shikamaru, Juugo, and Ino, had also reached their destination only a few hours after leaving the village, knowing how important it was for them to reach the enemy while he was still where their information indicated. As the four of them came close to the former Akatsuki hideout, they paused. Ino locked onto the chakra signature inside.

"It's definitely him in there", she muttered to her three teammates.

"Looks like the place will collapse at any moment", Juugo remarked.

"The Akatsuki used this place to extract the One-Tail from his jinchuriki, and a lot of people fought the Akatsuki here in an attempt to stop them and rescue him", Shikamaru pointed out. "I'm surprised it didn't collapse then, or since then."

"He's alone in there", Ino said, Shikamaru and Juugo nodding that they understood, while Sasuke remained his usual impassive self. As one, the four of them moved off and into the cavern.

As they entered the cavern, the destruction from the sealing of Shukaku and the battle against Sasori was evident. The opening of the cavern revealed a second level, beneath the one that the shinobi enter into, which had been opened up by the damage to the surrounding cliff at the entrance to the cavern. Inside the cavern, the ground was covered with rocks of varying sizes, all of which had fallen from the ceiling and from the walls, some of which had large holes in, leading through into different sections of the cave system. The damage to the roof and to the opening of the cave had created enough natural light to see quite easily.

"Here to arrest me?" Kakuzu asked mockingly, as the four Konoha-nin entered the cavern.

"Hardly", Juugo muttered in response.

"We took you down once before", Shikamaru pointed out.

"The fatal blows were struck by Hatake and that blond brat, neither of whom are here", Kakuzu pointed out.

During this brief conversation, Ino had moved around the cavern until she was at one side of Kakuzu, the other three in front of him, and had again locked onto his chakra signature, quickly signing 'two more hearts' to Shikamaru. He nodded to her, and Kakuzu whirled to look at Ino.

"Now, shouldn't you ask before you go looking for people's hearts?" he asked, before throwing a kunai towards her. Ino dodged easily, but slipped down on the unstable floor, falling into a dip at the side of the room.

"Kuso", she swore, pressing her hand to her ankle, which she had landed on. She quickly determined that it was broken, and moved to set it in place and heal it.

Shikamaru took advantage of Kakuzu's attack on Ino to attempt to catch him with his shadows, hoping to hold him still so that Sasuke and Juugo could attack him. However, none of the shadows could get a hold of him, despite the natural light in the room creating many shadows, which usually helped Shikamaru utilise his abilities.

"Mendokuse", Shikamaru muttered.  _The extra hearts?_  Shikamaru wondered to himself.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning pierced Kakuzu's chest. Shikamaru and Juugo looked to Sasuke, who was glaring at Kakuzu as he fell, his heart destroyed by Sasuke's lightning.  _Interesting,_  Shikamaru thought to himself,  _what's making Sasuke so angry? Kakuzu suggested arrest, Ino hurt her ankle, I couldn't restrain him… or is it because he called Naruto a 'blond brat'?_

"Not everyone has only one, you know, Uchiha", Kakuzu grinned as he stood up. Sasuke's lightning had destroyed his cloak, and it fell to pieces on the floor, revealing a mask embedded in his back, another broken mask falling to pieces on the floor as the heart it contained replaced Kakuzu's destroyed one in his chest.

"Hn", Sasuke grunted.

"Bet you've got a decent price on your head, little Uchiha", Kakuzu said.

"Hn", Sasuke repeated.

Kakuzu was about to start working out how many tens of millions Sasuke Uchiha would be worth, when his chest was pierced again.

"I thought your shadows couldn't hold me", Kakuzu grunted, as his final heart moved into his chest.

"I got a boost", Shikamaru muttered, as the shadow which had impaled Kakuzu's heart retreated. "Thanks", he added to Juugo, who had channelled extra energy into Shikamaru and his shadows.

"No problem", Juugo replied softly.

On the other side of the room, Ino had managed to heal her ankle enough that she could pull herself to her feet, and manages to pull herself onto the floor of the cavern. Juugo, noticing this, began to move in her direction, Shikamaru moving closer to Sasuke, so that the now one-hearted Kakuzu had two different directions from which an attack may come.

Kakuzu watched as the shinobi he'd clearly underestimated moved to surround him. He suddenly felt an intrusion, the blond kunoichi attempting to take control of his mind, presumably to restrain him for a final blow.

"No", he growled, before channelling all the chakra he could muster into one final attack.  _I better survive to get the bounty that must be on that Uchiha's head,_  Kakuzu thought to himself, before aiming the chakra burst towards the kunoichi.

Ino was trying to enter Kakuzu's mind to restrain him when she felt the chakra building up in the room.

"It's too much, it'll bring the whole place down!" she shouted, half at Kakuzu and half as a warning to her teammates. Kakuzu ignored her though, releasing a massive chakra burst. Instantly the walls began to shake, the ceiling coming crashing down, burying all five of them in the remains of the cavern, destroyed by Kakuzu's chakra burst.

* * *

**Next Chapter – the conclusions of these battles and of the entire story!**


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